


One night, no fairy tale

by hjertetssunnegalskap (Crazyheart)



Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Awkward Flirting, Birthday Smut, Drinking & Talking, F/F, Falling In Love, Found Family, LLF Comment Project, Long Live Feedback Comment Project, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, New Adult, Sexy Times, coming of age sort of, one-night stand to lovers, references to tales stories and myths, refers to Norwegian lack of dating culture, safe consensual and mostly sane, this is not a slow burn though - naturally, tipsy Chris as well, tipsy Eva
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:26:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 26,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25290868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyheart/pseuds/hjertetssunnegalskap
Summary: (ON HIATUS but I hope to finish it in not too long... I can't promise WHEN because I need to take things step by step).At Chris' 21st birthday party, she meets Eva in the bathroom. Their weird meet leads to flirting, connection and laughter, and the two of them end up in bed together. It's all hot, wild and fun, but Chris isn't at all prepared for how Eva affects her, making her want more than just some fun times. That's no use, of course. What's the point in wanting more, when nobody takes her seriously, anyway?- This story contains a lot of flirting, awesome Chris, fierce Eva, sexual attraction and references to tales, stories and myths.
Relationships: Eva Kviig Mohn/ Chris Berg
Comments: 8
Kudos: 7





	1. One night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mynameisnotthepoint](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mynameisnotthepoint/gifts), [evakuality](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evakuality/gifts).



> You have no idea how glad I am to post this fic - it's been so long since I posted anything. This fic also represents one of my favourite tropes: One-night stand to friends to lovers. In addition to that, I've added some references to old folk tales and myths. To be honest, this whole thing is so self-indulgent, it feels like a silly gift to myself. If I'm lucky, you'll like it, anyway, though. Please tell me what you think! 
> 
> Thank you so much, [Johanna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mynameisnotthepoint) and [Allie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evakuality) for beta reading for me!!! You've been amazing and I'd never come this far without you two cheering me on!
> 
> Check out this beautiful edit by @evakuality: 
> 
> I should mention that I started to write this fic forever ago, so this is happening in January 2020, sort of pre covid-19, at least before we knew covid-19 came to Norway. So, people still party in big crowds, huddle up in crowded coffee shops, hug and share bottles and have one night stands. Good times.
> 
> Huldra: Norwegian seductive being you can meet in the mountains or in the forest. Huldra is a forest spirit, with shiny, thick and long hair, bright eyes and hiding a cows tail. She can be both good and bad, depending on how she’s treated. She’s related to Frau Holle from the Grimm tales. She’s also called the hidden one.

The thing is, Chris knows that one night stands can be reckless in many ways, and stupid. 

“Norway tops the statistics on one night stands,” Sana informed her once. “And on Chlamydia,” Noora was quick to add. “Do the math.” 

They have a point, so Chris is always careful with her hookups – or, she has _learned_ to become careful. She makes sure to have safe sex. Never when she’s too drunk, always with consent. Also, even if most guys seem happy as long as a woman – any woman – wants to hook up, it’s not like Chris is drowning in interested men (or women), so she’s not exactly living on the edge.

Chris takes a long sip of her beer and looks around. It’s the end of January, and a couple of weeks since she turned 21, but still, they’re celebrating her birthday. So far, it’s a success. They have beer and wine and most of the guests are ready to get wasted. The house is full, the music is pumping and she’s sure she will be able to mess around with someone if she feels like it. 

fHer eyes land on Sana and Yousef, standing in a corner, whispering to each other and looking at each other with warm gazes. Sana is dressed in an unusually bright green dress and a beautiful hijab, and Yousef looks a lot less like a youth in his button down shirt and jacket. They look like they’re in love. The sight makes something tighten in Chris’ chest, and she must admit she would love to have something like that sometime. Based on her experiences so far, however, it doesn’t seem likely to happen any time soon. Most guys seem to find her to be too much to be girlfriend material. She takes too much space in one way or another, some say it’s her style, some say it’s her body, others again say it’s her personality, or how she is in bed. _Too much._

Well, fuck that. Chris takes another deep sip of her beer, the tight feeling in her chest eases, and she grins when a cute guy with spiky hair drags her to the dancefloor to shake loose. She dances and flirts with the guy a little before she finds another beer, checks in with her friends and chats, laughs, and has a good time. Noora might not get it, but Chris doesn’t mind occasionally having some uncomplicated fun. It’s worth it for the needy touches and hot, rough kisses and sometimes secret smirks if they see each other afterwards. It’s worth it to feel wanted. And to want in return. 

It’s simple, really: Chris gets some action; a guy gets to let off some steam; life continues. 

She is a couple of beers deep and a few shots deeper when someone tells her that Vilde is crying in the bathroom. 

“Oh, Vilde,” Chris sighs and goes to find her best friend from childhood and cheer her up. She always feels a little lost when Vilde breaks like this, sadness spilling through the cracks in her pretend-smile. 

It doesn’t seem too bad this time, though. Vilde is brushing her blonde strands away from her face, wiping away her running makeup, seeming annoyed as well as hurt. “Idiots,” she mutters. At least she’s directing it outwards for once.

“They all are,” Chris agrees. 

“Thanks, Chris.” Vilde sniffles gratefully when Chris hugs her and tells her a silly joke. Chris finds a certain comfort in the thought that her jokes and warm hugs sometimes work better than Noora’s or Sana’s attempts at rationalizing would. 

The four of them are like this random mix of people who shouldn’t have enough in common, but somehow still work. Chris and Vilde have known each other forever, and when they started at Nissen, Chris got to know Sana, who again introduced them to Noora. In the end, they even shared a Russ van. 

“No worries, Vilde,” Chris says cheerily. “It’s better you get it all out, so you’re ready to dance on the tables later.” 

“Hah.” Vilde sighs, and more tears spill from her eyes. 

From where Chris is still hugging Vilde, she can feel her sobs still silently wracking through her like little hiccups. Chris barely has time to hear more of what troubles her, though, before someone barges in. 

“Hi! Sorry to interrupt, but…” A gorgeous girl? woman? with wavy auburn hair comes inside, dragging a guy with her. “...here’s Chris,” she breathes. 

And oh. 

_There you are_ , Chris thinks.

What a weird thought, but it feels right. The woman is beautiful. Not with the snow-white quality of Noora, or the dark eyed classic beauty of Sana, but more like a wild _huldra_. Huldra, the fierce, beautiful and seductive being you can meet in the mountains or in the forest. Huldra, who lives inside the mountains and under the ground. The hidden one, the forest spirit, with bright eyes, shiny, thick and long hair, hiding a cows tail under her skirt. 

Chris blinks. She knows she must have spent too much time reading folktales and fairy tales to the kids at work, when she starts to compare people to magical beings. 

The woman _is_ beautiful, though. Her hair is red-brown, flowy and long and makes Chris think of Rapunzel. No. This one isn’t locked up in a tower like a Disney princess, she’s definitely a huldra. There’s something mischievous over her smile. She has just the right huldra body, too. Slightly curvy. Elegant but grounded in an earthy way. Her skirt is too short to hide a cow’s tail, though, or the gracious lines of her legs.

“ _This_ is Chris,” Vilde mutters, her high voice filled with confusion, her sniffles stilled for a bit. 

Chris tries not to stare too much at the huldra in front of her, as heat burns in her cheeks. She can’t deny it, she has a soft spot for huldra types. In the stories, when huldra appears, it can be for both good and bad. Huldra is always kind when she’s treated with respect, and merciless when not. 

“I _am_ Chris,” Chris confirms, for good measure. “Christina Berg.”

The beauty stares at them both. So does the other Chris, the male Chris. He’s grinning, like he’s in for a treat. Ah, it’s _that_ guy. Christoffer, was it? Chris recognises him from Nissen and briefly wonders if she made out with him once. She probably did. 

She must laugh when she finally gets what’s happening. Vilde must have asked this girl to find Chris, and she ended up bringing the guy instead. It might be the beer speaking, but to Chris, that’s hilarious. She whoops and hugs her name-twin Male Chris; he’s still a charmer, of course. 

“Name twins!” he whoops back. And Jesus, he’s too good looking for his own good, it’s like he doesn’t register on her radar at all. It’s weird how that happens sometimes. Chris has this sort of charmer-proof armour that makes slick, almost-perfect guys not feel attractive at all. Well, her armour must have some holes, because she’s getting more and more certain that she _did_ make out with this guy at a party once. She must have been drunk. She chuckles at the almost-memory, turns him around and pushes him out of the bathroom.

”Whu - what?” he protests. 

“We were in the middle of something,” she explains, ignoring him. 

She shuts the door and turns to the auburn haired beauty who is still standing in the bathroom. “So yeah, hi,” she says, still grinning. “I’m Chris.”

“Yeah, I figured. Chris Berg.” An embarrassed expression turns into a wide smile that gives Chris all kinds of feelings. Her eyes rest on Chris, and yes, she definitely has a captivating huldra-vibe going on. “I’m Eva, Eva Kviig Mohn. Oh wait, you’re the host! It’s your birthday. Congratulations.” 

Chris finally registers her Bergen dialect. Oh, and a lovely warm voice that makes a tingle go down her spine. 

“Thanks,” she smiles. “Yeah. Well, my birthday was weeks ago, but it is definitely my party. Do you have a present for me, maybe?” 

Eva blinks and stumbles a little, revealing that she can’t be completely sober. “I uh…”

Chris throws her head back laughing, delighted that she managed to confuse Eva. “Relax, I’m kidding. I told people to drop the gifts this time. This is just an excuse to party, really.” She winks. And sure, she knows she’s acting corny right now, but it seems impossible to stop it. She deliberately avoids looking at Vilde, because she suspects that Vilde is wondering what’s going on. 

Eva laughs, too, and her laughter has a warm, soft sound that makes Chris prickle all over. Eva seems sweet, and she laughs at Chris when she’s being silly. Chris likes it, a lot.

“Great excuse for a party,” Eva says, still with laughter in her eyes. “I like you, Chris,” she says, and gives Chris an appreciative look. She turns to greet Vilde, and Vilde gives a shaky smile and says her name. 

“Thanks for trying to help,” Vilde adds. 

”No problem.” Eva shrugs. ”Isn’t it like girl code or something? We girls gotta stick together, you know. Lend each other a tampon when needed. Hold each other’s hair back when puking. Offer hugs or a shoulder to cry on.”

Vilde smiles. She looks a little better, so Chris takes a chance to turn back to Eva. 

“So, this party has it all, right? Drinks, music, miscommunication and chatting in the bathroom,” Chris grins, trying to make sure it shows that she’s joking. Noora keeps telling her that she misses the mark sometimes. “Don’t think I’ve met you before, though? Who are you here with?”

“Oh, with Jonas and Isak,” Eva smiles, and a pink blush rises in her cheeks. “Jonas is my ex, actually, but he’s dragging me along, anyway. He’s determined to make sure that I make new friends. Isak says he has a saviour complex, ha.” 

Chris raises her eyebrows. “Sounds like Jonas, yeah. And Isak.” _Wait_. She freezes. “Wait, are you _Eva_ , Jonas’ ex? Eva, who moved here from Bergen? I’ve heard about you. You two met last year, right?” 

“Yeah?”

That’s interesting. 

Chris and Vilde know Isak and his buddies well. Isak, Jonas, Mahdi and Magnus had been in their Russ van, too. It had been Sana’s idea - she shared a class with Isak and exclaimed that they were losers, too, so they’d better all stick together. Very typical of her. 

They had all sort of been a loose gang ever since – sometimes with the addition of others, of course.

Chris has never met Eva before, though. She would have remembered meeting Eva.

“How come we’ve never met before?” 

“Yeah, that’s strange,” Vilde contributes. Chris is glad to see that she seems fully distracted from her tears. She looks at Eva with her big, bright eyes. “How come?”

Eva shrugs and smiles. “I don’t know.” She walks closer to lean against the sink next to Vilde. Eva moves as if she dances, and her red hoodie makes Chris think of Little Red Riding Hood. Or the wolf. Maybe both. “I was a little busy at the time Jonas and I got together,” Eva explains. “And Jonas was always studying. We didn’t go to many parties, other than with just the boys. I guess a lot of you guys were occupied, too.”

Chris nods, she has to admit that she hasn’t spent much time with the others this year. She suspects it’s partly because she is in her second gap year, while the others are on their way to figuring out their lives. 

Just then, Magnus comes barging in, looking worried. “Everything okay?” he asks. “Vilde? I heard that someone was bothering you! Are you good?”

“Magnus!” Vilde seems to forget all about Eva and Chris, rushing towards him. 

Chris watches them, amused that the two of them haven’t gotten together already. They’re obviously into each other, practically eyefucking each other all the time. And still, nothing ever happens. Apparently, someone needs to give them a final push.

“Did someone treat you badly?” Magnus asks.

“A guy told me I was just sad and desperate,” Vilde mutters.

Magnus’ worried look morphs into an offended frown before it turns into a slow smile. “Come on,” he says, surprising Chris with a sudden initiative. “Let’s go. You and me can take desperate to a new level.” Vilde looks confused, but she smiles and leaves with him. On their way out, Magnus is cringey and telling jokes that aren’t particularly funny, but Vilde giggles anyway. 

Chris rolls her eyes. Not her problem, not tonight. 

The bathroom fills with a silence that edges its way towards awkwardness. 

Chris clears her throat, catching Eva’s eyes. “So. Eva,” she says, clasping her hands together. “How do you feel about getting wasted? I think I managed to stack some wine away in case of emergency.”

“Great idea!” Eva grins, and there’s really nothing princess-y about her. Her shining smile makes all sorts of feelings bubble inside of Chris, though. 

As they leave the bathroom, Eva stumbles a little and leans on Chris’ arm. “Woops,” Eva smiles. Damn. Her lashes are long. Oh. Fake lashes. Still, she’s pretty. And wobbly. And oh, her hand is warm. 

“You already have a buzz going on, don’t you?” Chris asks, trying to appear unaffected. Trying for once not to be _too much_. She finds the bottle of red wine she had stacked away on the shelf in the hallway.

“Yeah, girl. I think it hit me just now,” Eva says, chuckling a little. “I’m _really_ starting to feel tipsy so I guess I have met the goal for this evening. Are you drunk?”

Chris shrugs, trying not to reveal how much Eva is charming her. After all, who knows if Eva swings that way or not, it’s often best to be careful. “Not really. Not like last time, when I had like ten beers and thirty vodka shots and felt it for three days afterwards.” She chuckles and realises that being careful is a lost cause. She can’t do careful. She takes a sip of the bottle. The wine is a bit too fruity for Chris’ taste, but the alcohol warms her nicely. “Painkillers were my best friends the day after. Luckily, I don’t think I’ll need them tomorrow.” 

Eva smiles, but it’s a weak smile. “Oooh, so you’re more or less sober? Well, that sucks,” she says, and she actually does sound pretty put out by this news. “It’s bad enough I can’t get Isak wasted. Sana introduced him to this tall, gorgeous guy with this ridiculously good looking quiff and nobody has seen either of them since.”

“Oh, Even?” Chris grins. “That’s cool. He went to Nissen for only a year, I think. And he hangs with Sana’s brother. He’s nice.”

Eva nods, smiling. “Sure. And hot. Isak seemed smitten.”

Of course he did. Chris tries not to think too much about why it irks her that Eva thought Even was hot. Even _is_ hot. And he’s not quite the prince Charming type, so he even blips on Chris’ radar. Only like a fleeting thought, of course, he’s too damn tall for her taste. But still. 

“Could be cute together.”

“Fuck, yeah.” Eva wobbles a little and sighs, tipping her forehead against Chris’ shoulder. “I think I need to sit down for a while, girl.”

And yeah, that sounds like a great idea.

The house is packed, but the garden only has a couple of people out there smoking, and it’s not too cold for January. The perks of global warming. Chris ends up leading Eva towards their coats, figuring the fresh air will do them both good. 

“So, nothing happened between Isak and Even back at Nissen?” Eva asks as they’re stepping through the hallway. She sways closer, and Chris can feel the warmth from Eva’s arm brushing hers. 

Chris shakes her head. “Nah, I don’t think so.” She finds her coat and shoes and starts the ordeal of putting it all on without losing her balance. “Isak was not out at all back then, and I suppose they never hung around in the same circles.” 

“Makes sense,” Eva says, stumbling a little as she puts on her boots and her coat. “As I was trying to say, I didn’t get Isak wasted tonight.” She talks a little slowly, and Chris guesses that she focuses, not to slur her words. “And Jonas found this beautiful girl with, you know, that whole smart girl vibe going on? Someone he could talk politics with. Although I doubt they will talk for long tonight. So. _You_ should definitely catch up with me!” She takes a deep breath after her long string of words, and gives Chris a cheeky smile. 

“Thanks, I’m honoured that I get to get wasted with you,” Chris smirks, and feels very skillful as she manages to open the door and take another sip from the wine at the same time. She stops as she recalls what Eva said earlier. “Wait. Did you say that Sana introduced Isak to Even? You know Sana?” 

“Yeah. Through Isak.” Eva smiles, looping a clumsy arm loosely over Chris’ shoulders. “She talks a lot about you guys.” 

Chris wonders what in the world Sana has said, but she doesn’t say anything. She leads Eva outside. “Oh, nice,” she says as she sees the bench on the porch. “Mom left sheepskins out here, and sheepskins are the best thing to sit on if you want to avoid getting a UTI. I’m so not a fan of peeing in pain.” She laughs. Then she winces, realising that the joke might have been a little too much. 

Luckily, Eva huffs a laugh. “I bet,” she says, and plops down. “My coat is made of sheepskin, actually, and it’s _so_ warm. It’s an old thing, though, found it in a thrift shop. It’s not like I support wearing fur or anything.” 

Chris nods slowly. Eva looks practically edible in that white, fluffy coat. Not to mention in her black skirt and boots. Chris jolts when she notices that Eva looks at her. 

“I like your coat,” Eva says. 

“Thanks,” Chris smiles. “Cool right?” She actually feels brilliant tonight in her lucky jeans, and her bright, turquoise coat and pink shoes. Chris takes another swig from the bottle and sits down next to Eva on the bench. The wine is a surge of liquid heat on its way down, settling deep in her stomach, warming her from the inside out. It feels good. She can feel Eva looking at her.

“Let me tell you a secret,” Chris says, surprising herself as she does so. “When people tell me I’m too much, it makes me want to be _more_. Bigger. Louder. Does that make sense?” 

“Yeah, it totally makes sense,” Eva says, letting out a slow breath. “Ah, this is nice.”

“Better?” Chris asks. 

“Mm yeah, the air is good,” Eva says. In the golden light from the house, her skin glows and her eyes shine. She looks good. Eva’s eyes are the type that seem to draw you into a daze; not letting you go. Her smile is warm with a hint of shyness and her lips look soft. 

Chris takes another long gulp. The wine is starting to go to her head. It’s hitting her with a pleasant buzz. The backyard is kind of peaceful. The smokers have gone back inside, and with the door shut the music is a distant, rhythmic thumping. The cool breeze is a nice contrast to the glowing buzz Chris’ got going now. She doesn’t even worry that she has spilled too much personal stuff. She’s feeling good.

“Sana said you hook up a lot,” Eva says, breaking the tranquillity, bringing Chris back from floating in her own head. Eva has a cute blush on her cheeks. From the cold, probably. “I mean, not like… She wasn’t judging or anything, she just said I reminded her of you.”

“ _Not_ judging,” Chris chuckles. “Like, in telling you the statistics of one night stands in Norway?” She smiles, to take the edge of her words. She knows Eva is right, Sana isn’t actually judging. She says things as they are.

Eva smiles a weak smile. “Yeah. She can be a little intimidating.” 

“Yeah, right?” Chris grins. “Sana is totally badass. A softie deep down, though. Don’t tell her I said so. But yeah. She’s awesome.” 

Eva looks at Chris with something soft in her eyes, mixed with amusement. Then she laughs. “She definitely has a point, too, I know that. I just liked to live a little for a while. Especially after the breakup with Jonas.” 

Chris takes another gulp of wine. “Was it hard?” 

Eva is silent. Chris stares at her. Eva’s hair is waves of red brown, softly reflecting the light; the waves moving freely in the breeze. With her warm smile and serene eyes, she somehow makes Chris feel at home.

“I don’t know. Perhaps. I probably relied on him too much.” Eva says. “Or maybe he wanted to be my saviour too much. We wanted different things, too. It was right of us to break up. It was sad, though. I felt like I lost my first and best friend here in Oslo.” 

Chris blinks out of her stupor. “That definitely sounds hard.”

“Oh well, I still have him as a friend. He seems to be the type to keep his exes as friends, I’ve already gotten to know his high school sweetheart quite well.”

“Ingrid?” Chris laughs. 

“Yeah.” 

Chris grins. “You’re so much cooler than Ingrid, you know that, right?” 

“Shut up.” Eva’s laughter is breathy. She tilts her head back, and looks up, maybe on the stars. “Sometimes I wonder if it would have been easier to move here when I was younger.” 

“Mm,” Chris hums, mostly to show that she’s listening.

“Actually,” Eva says with a low chuckle. “I almost moved here when I was in seventh grade. My parents split up and my mum moved here. You didn’t go to Grefsen, right? Like Ingrid and the others?”

“Nope. Ruseløkka. With Vilde.”

“Mm pity. I could have gotten to know you at Nissen, though.” Eva smiles and looks at Chris from the corner of her eye. Then she looks back at the stars.

Chris imagines meeting Eva as a teen and the idea is just too _cute_. She tilts her head back, as well, and follows Eva’s gaze. The sky is dark and it’s not so easy to see any stars. “So you’re staying with your mum now?”

“Yeah. I can’t afford to rent my own place, not without sharing anyway. And mom travels a lot for her job, so it works out just fine.” 

“Same here, I mean, I’m staying at home for as long as I can. Although I do think my parents are looking forward to getting me out of the house. I just… I haven’t quite figured out what to do yet.” 

She sighs. She’s on her second gap year, already. Even if she loves her job at the kindergarten, she hates that she doesn’t know what she wants in the long run.

Eva sits up. “Oh, I have no clue either,” she grins, as if they have something interesting in common. And well, it’s maybe not interesting, but it is a big deal. “Everybody else knows, but I have no idea.”

“Hey, welcome to the club!” Chris raises her hand for a silly high five. She’s such a dork. There’s no use in pretending she’s cool, anyway. That ship sailed a long time ago, and it doesn’t matter. 

Eva accepts her high five, smiles, then her smile turns a bit wistful and they look at each other, and oh. _Oh_. 

Chris feels too warm, all of a sudden. Heat spreads from her stomach and makes her tingle all over. She knows this feeling too well. One thing is finding Eva cute, but now they are starting to open up to each other and getting to know each other... Chris is such a sucker for that. She’s starting to like Eva a lot, and in more than one way. 

Chris takes a swig of wine and tries to pull it back. She needs to get a grip. Eva may be ridiculously hot, and probably interested if the flirting is anything to go by, but this is literally the first conversation they’ve had and there’s no reason to be getting that far ahead of herself.

“So,” she says. “Uh. You and Jonas breaking up must have been hard. You seem to be okay, though? Was it long ago?”

Eva smiles and looks at Chris. Really looks at her, like she wants to see all of her. “It’s better now, luckily,” she says, shrugging. “We’re actually doing this friends thing surprisingly well. I think it was a couple of months ago? No wait, it’s been about half a year.”

“Wow, okay.”

Eva motions to get the bottle, and Chris hands it to her. Eva takes a sip and looks at her with sparkling eyes. “What about you, Chris? What can you tell me about exes and whatnot?”

Chris laughs. “Not much. I had a boyfriend or two as a kid, but nothing serious since then, really. Partly because I seemed to fall in love with the wrong guys a lot, or. Well. I fell for guys who didn’t realise just how awesome I was, you know, and not just in the bed.” 

She takes a deep breath, hoping it doesn’t shine through how she sometimes feels like being fun is the only thing people expect from her. That she’s not to be taken seriously. She pushes that thought far away, puts on one of her wide grins and continues: “Partly because I figured out that I wanted to have fun for a while. So. As Sana says, I do hook up a lot.”

Eva looks at her with dark, curious eyes. Then a teasing smile spreads on her lips. “Have you had some fun lately, then?” She leans closer and rests a tentative hand on Chris’ knee. Chris holds her breath as the warmth spreads through her like fire. She isn’t surprised when she picks up the flirty tone between them, but she isn’t prepared for the effect being in physical contact with Eva at the same time has. It’s actually embarrassing that Eva’s weight against her side and some flirting is enough to get her not just warm all over, but wet, too.

“Well, not much today.” Chris chuckles, to hide how flustered she is. “Not fun-fun, anyway, if that’s what you’re asking about.” 

Eva bites her lip, looking at her like she’s trying to say something with her eyes. “That’s what I’m asking about.” Her voice is so low and so warm it makes Chris shiver. Eva holds Chris’ gaze, and her eyes drop to Chris’ lips. “So. Have you ever made out with a girl?”

Woah. 

Chris swallows dryly, not quite getting why she’s so wired up. This isn’t the first time she’s flirted with anyone, after all. She knows how to do this dance, she knows how to have fun. And still, Eva’s question tips her off balance. 

“Uh, wow, that was a quick turn,” she mumbles. 

“Yeah,” Eva grins, leaning in a bit more. Her eyes are shining, and she’s studying Chris closely. “Have you, though?”

There’s something about Eva, something that shakes Chris to the core and makes it impossible for her to pretend. “Maybe once or twice,” she says, “mostly for fun.” She hesitates, as her heart threatens to beat its way out of her body. “I think I would like to, though. For real. I mean, girls are hot.”

Fucking hell, she has lost the plot completely, now.

But Eva nods, slowly. “Yeah.” She licks her lips, like she’s thinking about it. She leans forward and whispers into Chris’ ear. “What would you think about kissing me?”

“Uh.” 

Oh. Oh, fuck. Chris’ brain stops working. 

Eva smiles, and leans back. “Sorry if I’m too forward.“ She shuts her eyes, leans her head back and shakes it, like she’s trying to shake off some strange ideas. “It’s probably just the wine.” She raises her head again, swaying a little as she does so. “You haven’t kicked me out of your party yet, though. I’ll take that as a win.”

“Well, I wouldn’t take the risk of messing with you – you’ve got the alcohol, after all,” Chris points out, picking the bottle from where it hangs loosely in Eva’s grip. She takes a long swig and another for good measure. Then she looks at Eva, drinking her in. Eva is tipsy, but not wasted, and there’s something sincere in her eyes. “You’re serious,” Chris says. 

“Yeah. I was wondering,” Eva says. She looks Chris straight into the eyes. “If you would like to.” Before Chris can utter a word, she adds: “Because, you are hot, girl. I would make out with you.” Eva’s cheeks are pink. It looks good on her. 

Chris can’t take her eyes off her. It would probably be stupid to say yes. Chris has just figured out the whole being bi thing. Well, she’s not sure if she’s bisexual or pansexual or whatever the fuck, but she knows she’s not as straight as she used to think she was. So. It’s probably too early. Bound to become messy.

She’s tipsy, though. Horny, too. And Eva is so hot, and so pretty, looking over at her through her eyelashes in the moonlight and the light from the house, licking her soft lips. And Eva says she thinks Chris is hot. 

“I wouldn’t mind kissing you,” Chris says, trying to sound mild and more or less unaffected, even if she’s screaming enthusiastically inside. 

Eva leans closer. “So…” Eva draws the word out, slow and suggestive and more than a little ridiculous, raising her eyebrows and attempting a subtle shuffle closer to Chris. “Like, right now?!

“So,” Chris repeats. Eva’s eagerness makes her smile. Then, because she’s flushed, fuzzy and in the mood, and because it’s Eva, and she’s pretty sure that at the very least they’ll have fun together, she says, “Sure. Like right now. Do _you_ want to?”

“Hell, yeah,” Eva says, and Chris only just has time to put down the bottle so it doesn’t get trapped between them when Eva lurches forward. 

Their lips meet, and it’s a clumsy kiss at first, both of them still sitting and twisted awkwardly to face each other. There’s something there, though – the rough noise Eva makes against Chris’ lips, the way she opens up hungrily at the first brush of Chris’ tongue. Her hands come up to rest on Eva’s shoulders, fingers twisting in her shirt.

“Hey, hang on,” Chris murmurs, pulling back, and Eva blinks at her, mouth wet and red and open. Chris stands. She pulls Eva up with her, and Eva gets it, pressing in close. She has to lean down to Chris to kiss her, but not much. Eva buries one hand in Chris’s hair to tug her head in. Chris is the one who moves to deepen it, tracing the seam of Eva’s lips with her tongue, and Eva opens obligingly. The kiss turns dirty fast. Chris drags her hands down Eva's sides, tucking them under Eva's coat, then under her outer shirt and curving them over her hips. Eva's body is soft, curvy. Chris wants to see it. All of it. 

Oh, she’s queer alright, one way or another. 

“You’re awesome,” Eva says, low and breathy, and Chris laughs, lips against Eva’s jaw. She follows the line of it up to her ear, taking in the flush of Eva's cheeks. “You’re awesome and so sexy, fuck.”

Chris can’t take it, suddenly feeling embarrassed. “Shut up,” she murmurs, although it sounds weak, and she loses herself in the want she sees in Eva’s eyes, and the feeling of her warm body. “You’re like God’s gift to humanity, Eva. I mean, you’re so hot, damn.”

“Shut up yourself,” Eva half-laughs, “and believe me.”

The weird thing is that Chris almost does. Eva makes her feel hot, and awesome. And fuck, she wants so much more. “Too much talking,” she huffs against Eva’s skin, feeling heat burn on her cheeks in spite of the cold air.

“Kiss me then,” Eva demands, and Chris tugs Eva closer until they’re flush against each other, and does. She chases the taste of wine lingering in Eva’s mouth and lifts one hand to dive into Eva’s hair and curl around the back of her neck. Eva kisses her hard, huffs out rough puffs of breath between each pass of their lips. Eva’s fingernails scratch at the back of Chris’ neck, rake up through her hair, and Eva tries to shove closer until they almost collide with the wall.

Eva breaks the kiss just to bite at the skin of Chris' jaw. She soothes it with the hot, wet press of her tongue, mouthing down the side of her neck, sloppy, eager, and all that wine heat is surging through Chris now, pulsing down low.

At the sound of a loud shout from somewhere inside, Eva jumps back, but there’s no panic in her face. There’s awe, and quite a bit lust. “We should find somewhere… some place to go. Is that cool?”

“Upstairs?” Chris asks, and Eva grins and nods.

It takes a couple of tries to find a free room, but they’re lucky enough to find Chris’ bedroom empty. Eva doesn’t seem to mind their surroundings much. Chris decides to not be too hasty. They can sit on her small sofa by the wall first. Take it a little slow. 

However, when she sits down, Eva climbs into her lap, legs either side of Chris' thighs. Like this, Chris can lean back against the couch as Eva leans down to meet her mouth again. Eva’s lips and tongue are hot and wet and Chris settles into the new position gladly, practically writhing under Eva.

 _Fuck_ , it’s good. Chris feels like she could make out with Eva like this forever – wet kisses and the heat of her pressed against her own body, the weight of her in her lap, heat building between her legs, enough to take things up a notch. 

When Eva breaks away for air, panting against Chris’s neck, Chris laughs shallowly as she says in a shaky voice, “Fuck, this party turned out okay.” She expected Eva to at least chuckle, too, but instead, she growls, reclaiming Chris’s lips for another deep kiss before pulling back again.

“Fuck, yeah,” Eva says, her gravelly voice sending another hot pulse down to the juncture of Chris’s thighs. “You’re so hot,” she murmurs into Chris’s ear.

Chris shivers. Eva keeps telling her she’s hot, and part of her wants to object, and tell Eva she’s lying, while another part feels seen, and wanted, and it makes something twitch and unfurl deep inside. Almost like something is melting. Eva wants her. And Chris feels desirable, fierce and magnificent. Like nothing can stop her.

The pulsating heat pools between her legs and spreads down her thighs and up her spine. She wants more, resting her hands at the small of Eva's back and encouraging her closer. Chris tucks her hand up under Eva’s shirt, trying to touch her skin wherever she can reach. Eva’s skin is burning against her fingers. Chris needs to feel more. She peels Eva out of her layers and has to take a moment to look, just stare, because Eva is amazing. Her bra is framed with lace and cute, but her boobs look a lot better free of it. 

She wants to dive forward and kiss them, nuzzle them, taste them, but a hint of uncertainty holds her back and her hands shiver as she lets them skim over them, cupping them lightly, feeling their weight. Eva holds her gaze and Chris can see the hesitation in her eyes, and maybe she is nervous, just like Chris? What a wild thought. 

Chris leans in again and slowly kisses Eva’s chest, sucks in her nipple, and wow, blood rushes through her ears as she feels the bud in her mouth, and barely hears Eva’s gasp. Chris feels braver, trailing her tongue over Eva’s skin as she lets her hands drop lower, gets two good handfuls of Eva's ass under her skirt, and Eva groans, the hint of uncertainty she’d shown under Chris' eyes falling away. She’s louder than Chris might have thought she’d be, more shameless than Chris’d expected.

Eva helps Chris take off her shirt, keeping her eyes on her, and Chris feels too good and is too far gone to worry if she looks good enough. She feels awesome. The look of lust in Eva’s eyes as she admires the sight of Chris in her bra actually makes Chris whimper, and Eva chuckles darkly before pressing a trail of kisses down Chris’s jaw and neck.

Chris’s skin tingles in a way she doesn’t think she has ever felt before. “Fuck, Eva,” she moans as she tilts her head to give Eva more access.

“Yeah,” Eva growls into Chris’s neck, grazing her teeth lightly across Chris’s exposed skin. “Fuck.”

Heat rushes through Chris’ body and pools between her legs. She is so wet, and hot, and she feels trapped in her clothes under Eva. “Off. Take it off,” she whimpers, and Eva sits back on her lap to oblige her, neatly unsnapping Chris’s bra. Then she shuffles off her, reaching down to unbutton Chris’s jeans and tug them down. Chris gets up to help her tug them down and step out of them, nearly stumbling before Eva catches her, and then they’re both chuckling as Chris captures Eva’s mouth again in a hungry kiss. Her boobs sway and her nipples rub against Eva’s chest and she shivers in delight and clings closer. Fuck, she wants more, right now. 

She pulls back again to frown at Eva. “Everything off,” she complains, and Eva grins at her before she starts to get out of the rest of her clothes. “You too,” she rasps. Her movements are flowing, and she looks fierce, like a force of nature. 

Chris watches dazedly as Eva’s smooth skin is revealed piece by piece. It’s only when Eva snaps the band of Chris’s panties as a reminder of her request, that Chris finally snaps out of it and shimmies her last piece of clothing down her own legs.

Eva is a beautiful curved hulder in the half-lit room but Chris doesn’t get the chance to ogle her naked body a lot. As soon as they’re both bare, Eva leans closer, zeroes in on Chris’s boobs, immediately sucking on a nipple as her hand focuses on the other, and Chris can’t believe how the sensation instantly makes a spike of lust rip through her. She moans loudly, her head falling back against the wall with a thump. Eva chuckles a little at Chris’ “oomph” but Chris is too far gone to care. Her hand delves immediately into Eva’s wavy hair, and she feels Eva shiver as Chris’s short fingernails scrape lightly across the back of her head.

Eva moves up again, they kiss, and Eva’s moans are being muffled by Chris’s mouth as her hands come up to test the weight of Eva’s boobs. God, it’s so hot. It’s all so hot. She wants so much, too much. Eva tilts her head back and Chris takes the chance to move her mouth to Eva's neck. She’s about to ask Eva what she wants to do, how far she wants to take this, but Eva beats her to it. She tugs lightly at Chris' hair and tilts her head. 

“Can I lick you?” Eva whispers. Her breath is hot and damp against Chris' ear. “I want to. Let me, Chris.” She says it like there’s any world in which Chris might say no to that, might turn down getting licked by a beauty like her.

Chris swallows hard. “If you want to.”

Eva grins brightly. “Cool.”

_Except, fuck…_

“But uh…” Chris mutters. “Protection.”

 _Fuck._ That safe sex idea seems to be stuck in her head, now. Damn Noora and her talk about Chlamydia. 

Eva blinks. “Oh fuck, yeah. It’s not like I brought dental dams or anything.” 

Chris blushes. “I don’t have any, either. And well. I guess it doesn’t sound that sexy, either.”

Eva snorts. “Well it’s not like condoms are sexy either, but they’re damn handy.” She sighs, leaning in and kissing Chris once more. “I really wanted to taste you. Well. Another time. Fingers?” Her voice is warm and raspy, making Chris shiver. 

_Another time?_ Like this isn’t the _only_ time? Chris tries not to think too much about it. Eva probably didn’t mean it like that. Her brain catches up to her, realising what Eva asked about. _Fingers?_

“Uh,” Chris says, because it seems like her brain is spinning. _Fuck, yeah, fingers_. She nods, just to be clear. 

Eva looks at her with dark eyes. “Would you like if I fingered you?” she specifies.

“Yes. Fuck, yes,” Chris groans.

Eva grins and drags her to the bed, pushes her down on her back. “I wanna fuck you with my fingers until you come,” she says, and her words make lust zing through Chris’ body. She can’t say another word. She just nods.

Eva kneels between her legs and she’s gorgeous. Her eyes burn into Chris. “Let me see,” she says, in a soft, gentle voice. 

The request makes Chris shiver, and she parts her legs. Chris feels vulnerable and exposed, but she somehow trusts Eva completely, and her lust pulses between her legs. 

Eva’s hands are steady as she pushes Chris’ legs further apart. She stares at Chris, there, with dark eyes. She bends over Chris, slowly kissing her belly. She slides down lower, trailing her tongue over Chris’ skin, shuffling backwards as she goes lower still. She stops. Chris can feel her breath against her inner thighs, and shivers. She leans up, a little, just so she can see Eva there, kneeling between her legs. Fuck, what a view.

Chris fists her hand in the sheets at the sight of Eva because Eva is licking her lips, looking up at Chris through her lashes, and it’s obscene. It seems impossible, somehow, that this is happening. 

Eva’s gaze flicks up to Chris' face and back down. Eva licks her lips, resting her hands on Chris’ hips, and says, “So I’ve never done this before.”

Chris takes a deep, grounding breath, leaning on her elbows. “You don’t have to.” It costs her a lot to say it, but of course Eva doesn’t have to. Chris just really, really hopes she does.

Eva rests her hands on Chris' thighs, smoothing them up against the fine grain of hair there, and Chris wonders silently if Eva would prefer her bare, shaved. Doesn’t seem like it. Eva’s palms are hot, only a little sweaty. “I want to,” Eva repeats. Her lips quirk up. “After all, I should know what to do firsthand. Like, it’s all in the fingers, you know.”

Chris chokes on a snort. She doesn’t know what the expression on her face actually looks like, but it’s taking her a lot of effort not to laugh. When Eva looks up at her again she doesn’t even try, letting out a loud bark of laughter that draws an answering grin from Chris; and the hot burst of air ghosts against Chris and the humour slips to the back of her mind in the wake of how good that alone feels. She’s burning up already and Eva watches her with a heavy-lidded gaze before looking back down.

Eva lets her hand slide up Chris’ thigh pausing at the thatch of curls until Chris nods, and then Eva is sliding her fingers over her, teasing and then parting Chris’s folds. 

Chris groans as she feels Eva’s fingers slide against her, opening her up. Eva swipes two fingers through Chris’s wetness, and Chris jolts as she passes teasingly over her clit. Chris gasps and sags back onto the mattress. Her back arches at the teasing sensation, wanting more, always more. Eva’s finger circle Chris’s wet pussy. Fuck, she’s so desperately wet. Chris would be mortified by her own reaction if she wasn’t so painfully turned on.

Eva leans in closer, grabbing Chris’s leg and lifting it up to prop on her shoulder, opening her up and exposing her to Eva’s gaze, and Eva lets out a ragged moan. Chris keeps her hips still and lets out a heavy, shaky exhale. Even just the hot, wet press of Eva's fingers in her pussy makes Chris bite her lip, breathe in sharply through her nose. 

“Chris, you’re so wet, holy shit.” Eva groans, and Chris nods frantically, beyond words although Eva has barely touched her yet. As though she can sense Chris’s thoughts, without further delay Eva leans forward and slowly presses her fingers inside of her. And fuck, yeah, Chris loves that, she loves the intense pressure inside. Eva lets her fingers glide in and out of Chris a few times, and Chris wonders. Wonders if that’s how Eva likes it, the feeling of getting filled up. Chris can picture it, Eva sprawled out across her bed and touching herself slowly the way she’s touching Chris now. She rubs her thumb over Chris' nub, slow motions like Eva is fascinated - she’s staring at Chris' pussy, licking her lips again when Chris lets out a low sound. 

Chris can’t stop shivering. It feels like Eva is taking over her whole body. If this is Eva’s first time doing this, then fuck, she’s a natural. Eva keeps staring at Chris, mouth half open, gaze dark under her thick lashes. Chris can’t concentrate on anything but the feel of Eva’s fingers against her. 

“Fuck, so good, I –” She can’t help the needy grind she presses onto Eva’s hand, and Eva obligingly takes the hint, pressing harder against her. 

She has to reach out, curve her hand around the back of Eva's head, just for the contact, the feeling of Eva's hair at her fingertips, the way Eva makes a pleased noise, tilting her head into the touch.

Chris is good at keeping quiet, normally. Eva has her biting back moans already though, swallowing hard and trying to keep it together. Chris' hips jerk up of their own accord, even as she clenches her own free hand so tightly on the edge of the bed she’s going white-knuckled. 

Eva keeps fingering Chris, pressing her thumb against her clit, pushing one or two fingers inside, and god, is that a finger reaching further back?

“A third finger okay?” Eva asks. Her voice is raspy. “You know, back there?” and Chris almost falls apart. Fuck, that’s hot. Kinda dirty too, but she doesn’t care, it feels so good.

“Nghh yeah!” 

“That’s good.”

Evas pinky teases her hole while her other fingers are in the front and, fuck, the stimulation is a lot, but it’s perfect. Eva’s fingers pump inside her and drag over all her pleasure points and she makes Chris groan. “Fuck, yeah, like that!” Chris is so far gone now, she hardly knows up and down. Pleasure boils through her belly, thigh and groin, and it’s too big and too sweet to care about anything else. 

Eva keeps fucking her with her fingers, leaning over her, staring at her. “You feel so good,” she whimpers. The hand she isn’t using on Chris drops down between her own legs. She is breathing just as heavily as Chris is.

Chris can’t take her eyes off her. Oh damn, it’s like Eva can’t keep her hands off herself, like watching Chris and touching her turns her on too much. Chris can’t stop shivering, she can’t help bucking against Eva, it’s all so hot, “Fuck, Eva. Fuck.”

Eva grins, swollen, shiny lips, looking weirdly desperate and pleased with herself at the same time. She keeps working her hand between Chris’ legs at the same time as she pleasures herself. “Chris, are you close?”

Chris shouldn’t be, not already, but Eva's voice is hoarse and her fingers feel so good and the heat and tension are building and building. Chris almost can’t utter a word. “Yeah,” she finally admits, breathing heavily, and Eva looks outright smug.

“Come here,” Chris adds, pulling Eva into a kiss. She licks helplessly into Eva's mouth, and pulls Eva down against her, grinding up while Eva fucks her with her fingers, pressing her down with her warm body. 

Chris hurtles towards the edge embarrassingly quickly. Eva crooks her fingers inside as she rocks her hand back and forth, and pleasure builds in Chris’ pussy, her gut and spreads through her body. Everything becomes pleasure, pleasure, pleasure, Chris lets out a loud moan and starts rocking harder down onto Eva’s hand.

“Oh, fuck, Eva, right there,” Chris whimpers. “Shit, I’m so close, don’t stop, oh my god, please.” Eva moans into Chris’ mouth, presses harder, and that’s what does it; the feeling of Eva’s moan together with the pressure against her clit, sliding inside her and teasing her hole at the same time. The sensation overload tosses Chris over the edge, giving her a full body orgasm. She lets out a drawn out moan, and she shakes and shudders as a wave of bliss rushes through her. A long pulse of pleasure goes on and on, and Eva gently fingers her through her orgasm, drawing it out as long as possible. When it ends, Chris slumps against the bed, spent and dizzy. Her legs still aren’t working but fuck if Chris isn’t already almost ready for round two. She can’t help jerking her hips up when Eva is about to withdraw her hand. Eva notices. She smiles, looking smug. “Not enough?” she teases, moving her fingers but avoiding the sensitive clit. 

Chris groans and pulls Eva against her, kissing her slowly. “Your turn, though,” she grins, still breathing heavily. 

“Who says it can’t be both yours and mine?” Eva whispers, grinning, too. 

Chris loves the sound of that. She keeps kissing Eva as she lets her hand skim over Eva’s skin, reaching lower. God, she’s nervous again, but Eva grunts into Chris' mouth before Chris even touches her. Eva really wants this. She wants Chris. Chris feels dizzy and strangely powerful as she shifts closer, gets them lined up so they both can finger each other, slick and hot and easy. Chris feels like she has no idea what she’s doing, but she mirrors Eva’s movements as best she can, sliding her fingers over and inside the warm wetness. “This okay?” she asks, deciding to wait with advanced stuff like ass play. 

Eva doesn’t seem to miss anything at all. “Ah, hell, yes,” She shivers, bites down on Chris' lip and breaks the kiss, pressing her forehead against the side of Chris' neck and choking out another garbled swear word. “This is gonna be… quick.”

Eva is so hot and wet around Chris’ fingers, and Chris wonders if she feels the same. She also wonders how the fuck Eva manages to finger Chris while she’s so far gone. Eva groans hoarsely, a sound Chris never has heard before. She leans forward and takes Eva’s nipple in her mouth, licking and sucking it carefully, teasing it with her teeth.

“Shit,” Eva gasps out, her hand between Chris’ legs stilling as her body seems to take over. Her hips are jerking mindlessly, so Chris moves her fingers as best as she can, and Eva repeats herself, drawing the word out until it trails into a groan. She is starting to shake. “That’s - that’s, oh fuck, Chris, Chris.”

Eva jerks against her and digs her nails hard into the top of Chris' arms, and it takes Chris' mind a moment to catch up with it, registering the feeling of Eva clutching around her fingers at the same time she registers Eva's is laughing as she comes, desperate, bitten off bursts of noise, of course she is. Eva is fierce, and wild, and when she comes, she’s fierce, too.

Chris takes a shaky breath, expecting Eva to leave it at that and withdraw. It’s got to be too much for Eva now, and it’s fine. But oh, no. Eva slumps against her and keeps working on her, kissing her neck and fucking her with her fingers.

“God, I want to see you come again,” Eva breathes. 

“Again? It’s our first time,” Chris gasps a laugh. “What are the… odds?” 

Eva’s chuckle is warm against her neck. “I just want you to feel good, okay. Tell me if you want me to stop, can you do that for me?” 

Chris wants to do anything for Eva right now. Anything to please her. “Yeah,” she shivers. “Don’t stop.”

Something loosens up inside her, then. She doesn’t have to chase the orgasm, because Eva says it’s okay, beautiful Eva is fucking her with her fingers and there are no expectations, only pleasure, and it feels so _good_. Chris knows she can just enjoy the feeling for as long as she wants to, and wow, she’s building quickly again. She shivers, and spills out moans and shivers. 

“That’s right,” Eva rasps, and fucks her with her fingers and finds just the right spots until, fuck Chris can’t believe it, she gives in, follows Eva and comes for a second time. A tidal wave of pleasure goes through her and makes her shake on the bed.

 _A second time!_ Fucking hell.

Chris relaxes back against the bed, all of her bones made of liquid now, loosening the tight hold she’d had on Eva when she came. Eva goes with her, their bare chests pressing together. Chris feels drugged. “Fucking hell.”

“You okay, there?” Eva chuckles. 

“Fuck, Eva!” Chris groans, delighted when she makes Eva laugh. “Yeah, I’m okay!”

She sweeps her hand up over Eva's back, gliding smoothly through the sheen of sweat, and cups the back of Eva's head again, tilting her so Eva is looking at her. “You?” she asks.

Eva laughs again, almost as breathless as before, ducking her head as she smiles. “Fucking yeah.” She leans closer, bumps her nose against Chris' cheek. “Okay is not the word. I don’t think there _is_ a word.” She nuzzles against Chris' jaw, and Chris turns her head until they can kiss, slower this time, the urgency stripped away. This is the kind of making out Chris could do forever, spent and sated and content to kiss until she falls asleep. Eva seems to agree, as she blinks heavily and dozes against her.

Chris draws lazy circles on Eva’s back, wondering how she can be allowed to have something so perfect like this moment right here. The rest of her life is a mess, and she has no idea what to do with it. But this thing happening right here, with Eva and her together… it’s special. 

Having sex with Eva was special, too, and not just because she’s a girl. Eva was so gentle with her, and so giving. Free, and unapologetic. Chris had felt closer to her than she ever has felt with anyone, like this. 

Wow, that’s a scary thought. Chris squirms, not knowing how to contain the fluttering feeling rushing through her, pooling in her belly, and in her chest. It’s like this thing with Eva has stirred something deep inside of her, something she can’t put her finger on. It makes her want things. Hope for things she shouldn’t hope for.

Eva is here, though, warm and sleepy and beautiful in her arms. Here and now. That’s all that matters. Chris knows that, and she is grateful that she’s not the type to overthink things. These feelings will pass, and if not, she can deal with them later. 

Eva stirs and blinks, but she doesn’t open her eyes. “What about the party?” she mumbles. 

Oh right. The party. There’s no noise from the living room anymore. 

“Sounds like it’s over,” Chris whispers. Is it that late already? She doesn’t have the energy to figure it out, or to go and tidy up. She briefly wonders who told everyone to go home. Sana, perhaps. 

“Mm.” Eva snuggles closer to her, kissing her chest. 

God, it feels so good to have Eva here. She doesn’t want Eva to leave. 

“So,” she mutters, before thinking, “my mom’s working a night shift.”

Eva blinks her eyes open. “What?”

“My mom. Late shift. And dad is away for the weekend.” 

Eva lifts her mouth from where she’d been kissing Chris' shoulder. “Constructive criticism here: your pillow talk needs some work.”

Chris barks a laugh. “Shut up,” she squirms. “I’m just – we’re all alone here and you can stay here if you want,” she says all in a rush.

“Huh.” Eva’s gaze is impossible to read. 

Chris regrets it at once. She has never invited anyone to stay before, and she sure as hell hasn’t had many invitations to stay the night with others, either. Guys don’t usually want a whole lot more to do with her once they’ve had their fill. 

Eva hesitates for only a beat before she smiles. “Yeah,” she says. “I can.”

Then again, Eva isn’t like anyone else; maybe it’s not too bad to ask, anyway. Eva isn’t just hot, she’s fun, too. It’s been too long since Chris' had the sweet combination of orgasm and laughter. Now, she knows it probably won’t last. It’s only a one-night thing. But she’s sure she can enjoy it for what it is. She’s good at living in the here and now, after all. 

“Cool,” Chris says. “That’s cool.”


	2. One morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The one night turns into the day after. :D  
> Thank you, Allie and Johanna, for helping me with this!

Chris blinks awake from vague and abstract dreams and realises that it’s in the middle of the night. She hears rustling from the bed behind her, and she tries to get her bearings, finding herself with an unfamiliar weight spread across her body. It’s Eva’s arm that’s wrapped around her middle, pulling her close. _Eva_. Chris can feel the slow rise and fall of Eva's breath against her neck. It's the most soothing rhythm Chris' has heard in a long time. _Wow._ She could get used to this. 

Eva is almost too warm, her breasts pressing into Chris’ naked back. Chris lies still, not minding the weight of Eva's arm over her waist. It's a grounding weight. She doesn’t open her eyes yet, not prepared to wake up. She loves the dark warmth of her bed and the two of them together. Glimpses from their night flicker through her mind. Eva’s warm laughter, the feeling of her kisses, and her soft skin. Her clever fingers. 

Damn, it was hot. Such a pity it was only for one night. The thought stings a little, but only fleeting. She’s too tired, her thoughts are slow like syrup and she needs more sleep. Eva's heat and the quiet stillness of morning are enough to lull Chris back toward dreams. She burrows deeper into her pillow and tries to return to sleep.

She can’t. After just a moment, she cracks her eyes open and checks the time. The clock reads three o’clock in the morning. Chris groans into her pillow. 

“What’s wrong?” Eva mumbles. She presses into Chris further, crooking her legs so that Chris's are pushed forward where she lies on her side. She smiles, loving how Eva almost seems to want to be closer in sleep, even if they are as close as they can be right now. 

“Woke up,” Chris mutters, feeling a little less grumpy.

“Just go back to sleep,” Eva whispers, nuzzling Chris’ neck and rubbing her hand up and down her hip. Eva’s voice is heavy with sleep and Chris knows that she has woken her up as well. 

Chris turns her head to look at Eva. Her eyes are half-lidded and her hair is all over the place. God, she’s adorable. “Can’t,” Chris says.

“Sure you can. Go to sleep, Chris.” Eva’s voice is still thick, but there’s a definite affectionate and soft tone to it.

Chris sighs and does an attempt. Eva is like her own personal heater against her back, though. And even if Chris feels tired and heavy, glimpses from the party start spinning before her eyes. Talking to Eva, kissing her and feeling her warm skin. Chris can’t believe it all happened. Her thoughts spin back to their talk outside, too. Eva had been so sweet, and it had felt so good, talking to her. It felt like they connected, like something more could happen between them. 

_Stop_. Silly thoughts.

“What?” Eva yawns. “You’re thinking too much. I can totally hear that you’re thinking.” 

Chris sighs and sinks further into the mattress and the warmth from Eva. She feels half asleep but her mind is still reeling. “I just liked talking to you last night.”

Eva huffs. “ _That_ was what you liked? Talking?” 

Chris grins into her pillow. “I liked it all.”

She _had_ liked talking to Eva a lot, though. And that makes her want to talk _more_ to her. And spend more time together. She wants more than a quickie. Thoughts like that are dangerous, she knows that. 

_It’s just a hook-up._

“Mm.” Eva is silent for a while. Then: “Now you got me thinking,” she murmurs, and pulls Chris closer. “I’m not sure I remember all the stuff we chatted about, but I recall that we talked about hooking up.”

Chris can’t help tensing up for just a moment. Does Eva know what she’s thinking about? 

“You know I really didn’t mean that Sana was judgemental, right?” Eva asks. Her voice is muffled. Her hand starts to drift over Chris's hips and belly. It's such a gentle, soothing touch, Chris smiles and lets Eva pet her. She feels centred and calm, as though she is deep in meditation.

“Yeah, I know,” Chris yawns, Eva’s smell all around her.

“Mm good.” Eva's arm tightens and her hand swims over her skin, coming to rest flat on Chris's abdomen.

Chris’ heart starts pounding and unexpected butterflies flutter inside of her. Her skin wakes up in a tingly awareness. Chris clutches the sheet with her hand.

Eva’s touch is slow and sure. “I don’t want you to think that I would allow someone to be like that,” she continues. ”Just like I wouldn’t ever want to tell someone how they are or should be.” Eva presses her head forward to place a kiss on the back of Chris's neck, covered by her hair. 

Chris still feels the pressure though. She lifts her hand to press over Eva's where it rests on her stomach. “I know. I mean, I don’t _know_ , but I didn’t get that impression, at all.”

“Good.” Eva sighs, pulling her close to her body. Her fingertips drag delicately over Chris’ skin which is suddenly sensitive and tight. “This okay?”

Chris nods, taking a shuddery breath, telling her body to relax. She doesn't know if Eva means to affect her like that, but she feels herself ripple and flare. She feels a tingle between her legs as her heart begins to speed up.

Eva probably doesn't mean to excite her. She's half-asleep, still dazed and sloppy, her breath slow and steady against Chris's neck. The hairs there prick up too, and Chris wonders why she's so sensitive to such casual touch. 

Eva's fingers drag over her belly, drawing shapeless patterns. Chris feels a tingle zip through her from Eva's fingers to the space between her legs. She tries to extinguish it.

But then Eva slides her hand higher, growing more sure, until she's cupping Chris’ breast.

Chris gasps, and her heart beats stronger. She wants to press into Eva’s touch, but maybe Eva finds comfort in holding her breast, and doesn’t realise how sensitive Chris can be. She has tangled her feet with Eva’s without knowing it, but now she can feel the slide of Eva’s legs against hers. Chris swallows and tries to ignore the ache building between her legs. It’s nothing she can’t shake. Or, she doesn’t think so.

But then Eva shifts her hand and her fingers begin tracing circles around Chris's nipple. 

Chris shivers, breath forced out at the unexpected touch. She wasn't expecting Eva to do that. Eva draws another circle and Chris tries to steady her breath.

"Eva?"

"Mm?" Eva nuzzles the back of Chris's neck, burrowing through the hair to meet her skin. She kisses her neck. 

“Uhm, nothing.” Chris doesn’t want Eva to stop. She sighs, and shifts. She feels Eva's lips curl in a smile against her neck. She tries to focus on what they talked about. Her thoughts are slow as syrup again. “I mean. Why is it important that I don’t think you judge me?”

“Mm,” Eva hums, Chris feels the air of the breath on her skin. She runs sure fingers over her. “It just is. And. I don’t want you to regret hooking up with me.”

Chris’ heart is pounding so hard that Eva must feel it. It takes a moment for Chris to gather her thoughts. _Seriously?_ How can Eva think it is a possibility that Chris regrets something amazing like this? 

“I’d never regret this,” Chris mumbles, too surprised to be able to say anything more. She turns to face Eva, though. 

God, she’s beautiful. Eva smiles. Her eyes are shut for a moment, then half-lidded, blinking like a sleepy cat. “Me neither,” she whispers, and yawns. “I just hate being told who I am, and I didn’t want you to feel like that.”

“Mm.” Chris knows that feeling well. She reaches out and strokes her fingers through Eva’s hair. Lets her knuckles follow her chin.

She thinks Eva will stop talking and touching and drift to sleep, but then Eva blinks her eyes open and looks at Chris. Her eyes are thoughtful. “I’ve been called a lot of things, you know.” 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. People have called me stupid. Weak. Too emotional. Clingy. A slut. A cock tease. Whore.” Eva’s hands have stilled. She blinks and goes silent, like she’s shocked by her own words. “Fuck, I’m not even exaggerating a little.” 

“Fuck. How could people say stuff like that?” Chris doesn’t have to think for long before she remembers hearing similar slurs, though. Something cold squeezes inside her chest. “When I think about it, same here, ” she mumbles. ”I’ve been called hopeless. Weirdo. Easy fuck. Fatso. Whore. Clown.” 

Eva stares at her, blinking. “That’s so shitty. You’re so cool, Chris, so fierce. I can’t quite believe that people dare to say stuff like that to you.” Her hand cups Chris’ face, and holds it. 

Eva’s hand is soothing against her flushed face. 

_So cool. Fierce._ Eva can’t mean that? Chris knows she can appear tough if she wants to, but still. “Some people liked to rile me up when I was a kid. But then I got stubborn, and when people called my clothes ugly, I found something even more outrageous to wear. When they called me fat, I tackled them down and farted on their faces. When people joked about me, I threw back better jokes and laughed in their faces.” 

In a way, she found strength like that. She takes a deep breath. It feels like letting out those words has made something crack open inside her. It’s a weird feeling. She shuts her eyes for a moment. Shit, she’s tired. She’s warm, too, though. Too warm to sleep.

“Did it work?” Eva murmurs against her ear, sliding her hand over Chris’ shoulder and arm.

“Mostly.” 

Except that people expect her to be funny and outrageous all the time. 

”God, I’m tired,” Chris sighs. She lets a fingertip follow Eva’s chin and over her lower lip, but then she lets her hand drop and shuts her eyes. Want is still humming under her skin, but she’s too tired to do anything about it. 

Eva hums, and they go silent for a moment. 

Chris settles into the sheets, exhaling as Eva’s fingers play over her skin again. The motion is sleepy but deliberate, sending shivers down her spine. “This okay?” Eva whispers.

“Mm yeah.” Chris doesn’t want Eva to stop. Eva’s fingers play slowly over her’ hip and thigh, making Chris hold her breath. A well-known ache grows between her legs. _Oh fuck._ She really likes this. A lot. And Eva probably knows what she’s doing and what it does to Chris. 

She can’t help shifting, pushing against Eva’s touch. But Eva doesn’t reach between her legs. Chris shudders with sleepy arousal. The dual pull of sleep and pleasure is intoxicating. She turns slowly over to her stomach, clutching her pillow. She spreads her legs, just enough to be an invite, but subtle enough that Eva can pull away if she wants to. Chris feels like she’s in a daze, all flushed skin, pounding heart and a naked, slow simmering need. Eva is still right next to her, and burning hot. Eva leans against her, kissing her shoulder and stroking her hip, making Chris’ stomach warm and her body aching for more, more, more. Shivers of delight ripple through her. 

“Chris,” Eva breathes against her cheek. She keeps stroking her back and hip. 

Chris sighs. Her hands grip her sheets, turning her face into her pillow and squeezing her eyes shut. She is sleepy and exhausted and so stupidly turned on that this isn’t going to end well.

Or it could end ridiculously well. 

“Chris,” Eva says, her voice sounding like she is starting to wake up for real. “Do you want to sleep or do you want to—?”

“Both,” Chris mumbles into her pillow, as heat flushes her cheeks. Sleep is good, but going to sleep horny is never fun. Sex is good, it’s just that Chris doesn’t have the energy to do much at the moment. Right now, Chris would like immediate gratification with as little hassle as possible. “I’m so sleepy. I don’t know if I’ll be much fun,” she admits. 

She senses Eva’s breathy laughter more than she hears it. The mattress shifts next to her and soon both of Eva’s hands are on her, working on her shoulders and stroking over her back. Her touch is soothing and enticing at the same time, and Chris burrows her face into her pillow, biting her bottom lip, holding in a soft groan. Eva has magic hands and Chris is completely content to surrender to them. Part of her feels guilty for not being more active, but then she tells herself that Eva isn’t complaining. 

Everything is warm and heavy and it feels like she’s being drugged. Her exhaustion, mixed with Eva’s hands and mouth on her, is making everything seem like an incredibly vivid wet dream. It still baffles her that Eva wants to be with her of all people, even if it’s just for one night, but she won’t question it. Right now, she wants this and Eva wants it and who is she to question that?

Especially with Eva’s mouth pressed against her lower back and her fingers on Chris’ hips.

Eva’s slow touches keep Chris on edge at the same time as they calm her, making her feel like she’s floating in a warm sea. She is almost about to fall back asleep, right on the edge where she doesn’t know if he is awake or dreaming, when there’s hot breath in her ear. “What do you want?”

“Anything,” Chris says, her voice heavy and drowsy. Need pulses between her legs and spreads through her body. “Go wild.”

Eva lets out a low chuckle at that, pressing her lips against Chris’ neck. “I can do that.”

Warm hands are stroking over her skin, and lips are ghosting over her back, just barely making contact. Eva hums as she moves over her and kisses along her spine. Chris is so sleepy and so horny and it's nice to have Eva take care of everything, just for now. Chris doesn’t feel guilty at all, any more. 

Normally, Chris would have been self-conscious, but this entire thing feels like a dream. A very warm and hazy and pleasurable dream. She is completely naked under Eva, but right now it just doesn’t matter. Eva goes slow, her breath warm and damp on Chris’ back. It makes Chris shiver. Eva’s fingers drift down agonizingly slowly, and Chris has to concentrate on not squirming. 

Eva’s hands move to her ass, kneading the skin, thumbs barely brushing right down the crack. Chris feels her pulse throughout her body as her breathing starts to shake.

Eva’s hands slide down and slide between her legs. “Is this okay, sleepy girl?”

“Yeah,” Chris breathes, turning her head slightly and wiggling around to get more comfortable, spreading her legs. 

She hears Eva inhale sharply at that, but Chris doesn’t pay much attention to it. Her pussy aches to be touched and she doesn’t even care that she probably looks ridiculous and shameless right now. 

Finally, Eva sneaks her fingers into her wetness, stroking carefully. Chris’ mouth opens and a strangled groan escapes from her. Her body is so hot and out of control, Eva’s fingers feel so fucking good. Chris can’t help but curl backwards and up, pressing into Eva’s hand, trying to get more pressure. With her eyes closed, she watches faint colours seeping through her eyelids.

In her mind she only sees Eva.

It all feels so good. Everything between them is burning hot, and syrupy slow. Their bodies pressed together, sticky with sleep, Eva’s protective arms around her, hands touching where she’s most sensitive and needy. Eva is all around her and inside. It’s like her fingers are everywhere, setting her skin on fire as well as her pussy. Chris presses her face into the pillow, her hands clutch her sheets tighter, shifting on the bed and feeling wet, and so, so hot. 

“You’re so hot, damn.” 

And so wet. Chris lets out a little whine, half embarrassed, and Eva circles her clit with a finger and Chris moans, feeling so sensitive it burns. Her legs start trembling, even as she’s on her stomach. Her thighs and shoulders and hands all seem to be vibrating. Eva touches her so slowly, brushing a thumb over her clit, over and over, rasping her fingers over her thighs. 

“God, I love that you’re so sensitive,” Eva whispers, lifting her head so her lips brush against the shell of Chris’ ear. Her voice is shaky, and it sounds like she’s attempting to stay in control. Chris can feel her thighs tremble against her. “It makes touching you that much better.”

She presses her hand further, sliding through Chris’ pussy, almost dipping inside. Chris is floating, lost in her need. Lost in Eva. Eva presses her fingers harder against her, and Chris exhales, rutting against her. The friction is great and she is pretty sure she isn’t even in her right mind anymore. It is hot and wet and maddening and all Chris can do is just lie there and take it. Just take what Eva is giving her with her fingers.

Chris knows that she is breathing heavily. Eva shakes against her now and her moves are becoming more urgent. Her fingers stroke and press against, and Chris gasps, already caught on the edge of her orgasm. Needy moans spill out of her, and she doesn’t even try to control it.

“You okay?” Eva asks, soothing her, her mouth pressed against Chris’ back, lips brushing against the sensitive skin.

“Yeah, fuck, don’t stop.” She rocks her hips back into Eva, asking for more. 

Apparently, Eva doesn't have any plans to stop, because her fingers press into Chris and start sliding in and out and _oh fuck_. Moans and groans are escaping from her along with Eva’s name. A small wave crests through her, and she settles into their new pace, rocking into Eva. This feels so good, and so intimate. Something she wants to do again. She doesn’t want to think about anything at that moment though. All she wants is to think about is Eva’s body over her, her warm breath against her neck, and fingers delving deep inside of her. 

Every slide of Eva’s fingers inside are slowly unravelling her, making her shake and want to just fall apart. She is shaking, as she keeps feeling like she’s brought to the edge of orgasm and then soothed back. Everything is warm and wet and Eva.

Eva is nuzzling Chris’ neck now, whispering things that Chris can’t hear and pressing open-mouthed kisses to her skin as she pushes her fingers inside of Chris and presses a finger at her clit at the same time.

“Eva,” Chris groans. She can’t believe how good it all feels. It’s faster and rougher and deeper and better. Everything is still hazy and she still feels heavy but she also feels so warm and good and so close to falling apart. 

Eva is still paying attention to her neck as Chris thrusts harder back onto her fingers. Chris’ breath is coming out in heavy pants now, the tension between her legs building as she tries to keep her eyes closed and her body from thrashing against Eva. The haziness is still there and everything feels perfect. Her stomach has that familiar warmth curling up inside and her breath is coming out in short, wet gasps. 

Eva kisses her neck. “Fuck, you look so good, Chris. You feel so good. I want to taste all of you,” Eva sounds shaky. Her breathing is growing more effortful now. She moves against Chris as she works her up, using the motion of her own hips to rock Chris into her hand. Their skin sticks together where it touches.

Chris is trembling in Eva’s grasp, rolling through the overwhelming feeling of Eva’s touch and her words. Chris is too far gone to question them. 

“I wish we could stay here like this all night and all day,” Eva sighs.

Chris twists her face into the pillow to stifle a moan Eva draws from her.

“I love your noises,” Eva says, nuzzling behind Chris’ ear. Chris can hear the little pout in her voice. “Let me hear you.”

She curls her fingers inside Chris and Chris whines, high and breathy and louder than before. “Oh God,” she groans, moving back to meet Eva’s fingers. “Oh, fuck.” Chris feels her efforts to stay composed unspool. She doesn’t need to do anything or say anything, and right now, that’s a relief. She bites her bottom lip, trying not to voice all of the ridiculous noises and phrases she would undoubtedly end up saying. 

Everything tightens inside and she’s _so close_. She is starting to shake again, practically trembles with every movement of Eva’s fingers, whether it is a smooth slide or a press against her clit. 

Eva pulls a huge orgasm out of her. Chris finally lets go and it all crashes on her. Her stomach clenches, her chest tightens and her legs go rigid as she clamps around Eva’s fingers, shaking all over. The pleasure tears through her in a surge of white light. 

Eva lets out a rumbling groan, sounding pleased. “That’s it,” she breathes, still sliding her fingers against her, drawing her orgasm out of her.

After the first surge passes, Chris’ lungs force a strangled moan out of her mouth, a feral noise that earns her a stronger pump of Eva’s fingers.

“Perfect.”

They are both shaking. Chris stutters through a few more clenching waves, breath gusting and chaotic as she swims in the wave of feelings rushing over her. She’s panting against her pillow and her hair is sticking to her forehead from sweat. She’s still trembling. Eva presses kisses to her temple until her body droops, relaxed and happy.

Chris feels rosy, relieved laughter bubbling up through her. It’s deep and sounds like more of a hum than anything else. “So,” Chris says finally. “That was… good. That was good.”

The vibration echoes of her bubbling laughter go through Eva too, and Chris feels smiling lips on her temple. Eva chuckles, kissing her cheek. “I’m happy you liked it. As good as talking?”

“Definitely,” Chris laughs, turning around to look at her.

And fuck Eva looks wrecked, hair wild around her head. She looks gorgeous, a little smug, and horny as fuck. Chris runs her hand up Eva’s arm, adoring her. Then she leans up for a short, soft kiss. “Eva, let me—,” she starts. 

“Babe, you need to sleep…” Eva sighs, biting her lip.

 _Babe?_ Chris smiles, leaning up, hands starting to drift over Eva’s back, trying to roll her over. “Just let me,” she says.

“Oh, who am I kidding, yeah, I won’t say no,” Eva breathes. She doesn’t allow Chris to roll her over, though. Instead, she’s straddling over her and leading Chris’ hand between her legs. 

Chris laughs, still feeling light-headed and happy. She pushes her fingers inside, and the wet feeling makes her even dizzier.

“Fuck you got me so wet,” Eva groans, hips stuttering as she presses against Chris’ fingers. “You’re so responsive and you never stop moving or making noises. So perfect.”

Chris would have protested that she is incredibly far from perfect, but it’s difficult with Eva sitting over her, riding her fingers, leaning over her and kissing her. Everything feels so hot and way too much.

Eva’s a goddess, every movement beautiful. “No idea what you do to me,” she continues, her pace increasing. 

No idea sounds about right. Chris hardly knows what she’s doing, but she fingers Eva as best she can, as she lets her other hand roam Eva’s warm skin and cup one of her breasts. 

“This is okay, right?” Chris asks, and Eva’s hand darts out and grabs Chris’ wrist between her legs, pressing against her, encouraging her.

“Yes,” she breathes, “please don’t stop.”

So Chris doesn’t. She keeps sliding her fingers inside of Eva, and plays with her breast. She thumbs a nipple, teases it. God, she feels so good. Chris wants to taste her, all over. 

“Holy shit,” Eva pants, her forehead pressed against Chris’ shoulder and her forearms braced on either side of her. 

A rush of hopeful pride goes through Chris. She uses the opportunity, lifts her head, finds Eva’s nipple and sucks it in her mouth.

Eva is this panting, desperate mess above her and Chris feels unbelievably lucky to have Eva like this, right now. Eva’s grinding against her hand, her breath hot against Chris’ collarbone, and Chris plunges two fingers into her while she lets her thumb press against the clit. She’s rewarded with a moan that sounds like a sob, so Chris keeps doing what she’s doing.

For a moment, she wonders what this might be like if she was the one on top right now, but she doesn’t want to hear Eva stop making those sounds for even a second. Eva’s back to grinding against her hand, and she’s squeezing around Chris’ fingers, trembling against her.

Eva is beautiful, a force of nature, over her. Chris wants to tell her that.

“Gorgeous,” Chris mumbles, because, hello, she’s not quite awake, really, and the orgasm seems to have blanked her mind completely. “You’re amazing,” she whispers. “I wanna make you feel so good.”

Eva lets out a harsh groan. The grip on Chris’ hips tightens as Eva tenses up and stills. She comes, shaking against Chris, her body clenching and unclenching around her fingers, over and over again. She’s gasping, and then her body goes limp, while she breathes heavily, smiling. 

Chris carefully pulls her fingers out of her. “Wow,” she mumbles, feeling dazed. “You’re even pretty when you come.”

“Oh my God, shut up,” Eva laughs, obviously embarrassed. Chris smirks, shamelessly proud of herself. 

Eva moves away from her for a second, and they both collapse back onto her bed. The sheets are sticky with sweat, but Chris doesn’t care. She’s so sated and she knows she needs sleep and she can’t think anymore. 

“This should help us sleep, though,” Eva says, her voice still heavy and panting as she tilts her head against Chris’ temple.

“True,” Chris chuckles. She faces Eva, and kisses her slowly. “Thanks for allowing me to be sleepy and needy.”

“Pleasure all mine,” Eva grins. “You were amazing.”

Chris rolls her eyes, stroking a curl away from Eva’s forehead. “I didn’t do anything, I basically lay there.”

Eva’s laughter is warm and throaty. “You did everything. Now. Let’s sleep.”

Chris snuggles into Eva then. She can’t ever recall that she has felt safe enough with someone to admit that she wanted to mostly just lie there and have sleepy sex. Maybe her sleepiness had tricked her. Or maybe Eva is special like that, making her feel safe. She yawns. Eva is amazing. Chris can’t believe what’s happening, and she still feels like she’s dreaming. 

She knows this won’t last. 

Chris shouldn’t long for more. She shouldn’t long to be bold enough to ask for more. Close like this, she can smell a hint of warm skin, sweat, and maybe soap or shampoo. She studies the shadows under Eva's eyes and looks down. Eva needs sleep. Also, she deserves to be happy, no matter if she wants to keep hooking up for a while, or if she wants to meet someone special. Chris should respect that. Instead, she lets her hand linger for a brief moment, feeling spitefully pleased that right now, Eva is here, warm, and soft next to her in her bed. And Chris is the only one allowed to touch her like this right now.

She’ll deal with the rest in the morning.

Chris lies in the dark, listening to Eva’s breathing grow slow. Then she finally lets sleep take over, wrapping her in nothingness.

When Chris wakes up in the morning for a second time, she stares blearily at the ceiling, feeling the warmth spread across her body, knowing that it’s Eva. Eva’s arm is flung casually across Chris’ chest, and she is warm and soft next to her. Chris can’t believe it, but they slept together, and more than once. Even in the middle of the night, when they were half asleep. Heat rushes through Chris and something flutters inside. She can’t resist letting her fingers brush over Eva’s cheek and neck, before sucking in a breath to put herself together. 

_Just a hookup, remember._

It’s silly, but part of Chris wishes she was brave enough to question that, or ask for more. She knows that Eva doesn’t want Chris like that, though, and that fact stings and leaves a sinking feeling in her stomach. She rubs her hand over her face and slowly rolls away to sit on the edge of the bed. The air is cold against her skin now that the duvet doesn’t cover her shoulders and she doesn’t have Eva’s arm over her. She looks back at the sound of Eva stirring and watches as Eva flips onto her back and settles back into sleep.

She is beautiful. A sleeping beauty. Not like Sleeping Beauty from the fairy tale though, she’s definitely like a huldra, with her wild hair against the pillow. Chris stares more than she probably should, feeling warm in the face and restless. She takes a deep breath and forces herself to stay calm. 

_Get a grip._

This is so weird. She’s never felt like this after a hook-up before. Chris swallows dryly. She’s thirsty, and her limbs feel heavy, but she doesn’t exactly feel hungover. She’s tired, though, and restless. Raw.

Last night was… Chris can’t remember ever falling so quickly for anyone before. It almost felt like she could breathe for the first time. And Eva… Eva stirred something in her, deep inside, making her want more than a quick fuck. Eva was so attentive and so _right_. Chris replays the night again, and her body automatically begins responding to the memory. She reaches over and trails a finger down Eva’s cheek and neck and smiles as Eva shivers beneath her touch. 

Oh god, she wants Eva _again_. She withdraws and stares at the posters on the wall in front of her, without really seeing them. Her room is like it always has been, although something feels different. Chris realises with a shock that she hasn’t brought anyone into her room like this for ages. She doesn’t want to think about what that could imply. This thing was just a hookup. Only a one-night stand. She needs to remember that. They were just having fun. 

_She doesn’t want you for real. You’re too much for her, big girl._

Chris suddenly feels horrible. It’s not regret, not guilt, not even a hint of worry over her sexuality. Hooking up with Eva felt great, and she’ll never regret that. And still, right now everything is too bright and too harsh and, well… she feels like… Sleeping Beauty’s ugly friend. One of Snow White’s seven dwarves. The stepsister in Cinderella. 

Fuck, it must be a sign that she has spent too much time reading fairy tales to the kids in the kindergarten when she starts thinking like that all the time. But yeah, she feels like the ugly stepsister, not that she ever had any poor Cinderella to bully. Vilde did stay with Chris’ family for some time, back when Vilde’s mom struggled. And Vilde did seem to have a certain Cinderella-vibe going on at that time. She hasn’t found her prince, yet, but Magnus seems like a willing candidate. While Chris was, and is, more like Vilde’s not-so-good-looking sidekick. 

Chris shuts her eyes, feeling dizzy. She clutches her fingers in the duvet, trying to think rationally. These things can’t all be true, she knows that. Still, she can’t fight the doubt. Eva is beautiful, funny, sweet and so hot, and how in the world did they end up in bed together? Eva is too good for her, and she’ll realise that when she wakes up. What if she looks at Chris with badly hidden regret or disappointment in her eyes?

_She’ll never take you seriously, you clown. Nobody ever does._

Chris swallows down a groan. Only the thought of it makes something ache in her belly, almost like hunger, or fear. She can’t handle the thought of having the “this was fun, let’s never do it again” talk with Eva. It’s bound to happen, of course. Eva might be kind, but it doesn’t change the fact that this was only a hookup. They both went into it with open eyes. Chris stares at Eva sleeping. She looks so peaceful, and her hair is mussed and looks unbelievably soft. God, she’s beautiful. Chris doesn’t really know her, though. They don’t know each other at all. 

There’s a trail of clothes scattered on the floor. Chris stares at them, as if they can reveal all she needs to know about Eva. Chris huffs a sigh, wondering what’s going on with her. It’s not like her to overthink like this. Maybe it’s PMS. Maybe it’s one of those days when her thoughts just can’t stop spinning. Or maybe it’s because Eva makes her feel things, things she hasn’t allowed herself to feel in a long time. Fuck. She pulls the duvet tighter around her.

Usually, she’s pretty easy going and happy with everything. Chris likes to live here and _now_ , and not worry about the future. She likes to eat. To taste. To sense. To touch. She likes pleasures. And she likes all of that too much to reign her appetite for it in, just because the result of her appetite offends others or because she’s too much. She’s fine.

Well, mostly.

However, there are _some_ days when she aches inside, and worries, and it’s like she doesn’t fit in her own skin. On days like that, she feels like she’s an ogre surrounded by fairy tale princesses and princes who judge her and find her not good enough. Or she feels like a funny sidekick, never to be taken seriously. 

It’s mostly about her weight, of course, about being fat and funny and always too much. 

Chris likes to pretend that she doesn’t care about her weight. And sometimes it’s the truth; she doesn’t care much - she’s pretty healthy, after all. She’s still painfully aware of it - how she doesn’t _quite_ fit in. How all anyone sees is poor self-control, someone so weak-willed that she allows herself to become disfigured. Some folks have invisible addictions; tobacco, caffeine or painkillers. But hers are too obvious to miss, she wears it like a thick overcoat everywhere she goes. 

Sometimes it makes her too visible, other times invisible. 

And the hunger is always there beside her, an unreliable companion who promises her that she’ll feel better if she only eats until her stomach is full and she can’t feel all those aching, fluttering, painful feelings inside. And then she can be that funny friend everyone expects her to be. 

Last night, it didn’t feel like that, though. It felt like Eva saw all of her, and liked her anyway. And still, in the light of day, Chris can’t allow herself to believe it. She feels too raw, like her feelings are out in the open, ready to be attacked and destroyed.

One of those days, huh. 

She finds her phone on the floor, and sends a quick text to the group chat with the girls, just to keep herself busy, and do something. 

> Chris: _Sorry that I disappeared, guys. The house is still standing, though. Guess you wrapped it all up?_
> 
> Noora: _No problem. People behaved, believe it or not._

> Sana _: And we left you stuff to tidy up, Chris, don’t worry. ;) The keys are in the usual place. Did you have a good time?_

For a second, Chris wonders if Sana asks about more than the party. Then she shakes her head to clear her thoughts. 

> Chris: _Thanks, guys! And oh yes, the party was awesome. :) Had lots of fun!_
> 
> Vilde: _Morning! Yeah, last night was so much fun! Why did you disappear, though, Chris? Did you find someone to hook up with?_
> 
> Chris stares at the question, not knowing what to answer. Usually, she would have joked about it. That doesn’t feel right. 
> 
> Vilde: _Chris? Did you?_
> 
> Vilde: _Chris? No funny quips, what is going on?_
> 
> Vilde _: Chris?_
> 
> Noora: _Calm down, Vilde. The party was great, Chris. And coming from me, that’s high praise, you know. :P Parties aren’t my scene._
> 
> Sana: _Yeah, you throw the best parties, Chris. Yousef said so, too. Also, it’s good to know you had fun._
> 
> Vilde: _Yeah, you deserve everything, Chris!_
> 
> Noora: _Wait_. _You’re in an awfully good mood today, Vilde, did something happen last night?_
> 
> Vilde: _Why?_
> 
> Sana: _I believe Magnus finally happened._
> 
> Noora: _lol_
> 
> Vilde: _What do you mean, Sana? Did you see anything?_
> 
> Vilde: _Sana?_

Chris must smile, but she can’t muster the energy to answer any of them. She sends a heart emoji and turns off the notifications. She can deal with them later, and decide what to say and not say.

The strange thing is, she can vividly imagine Eva as part of her life, and part of that chat. She can imagine Eva as her girlfriend. Fuck. What’s wrong with her?

Chris suddenly feels chilly, sitting at the end of the bed. She should get it over with. She knows the drill. She’s fun and she’s fuckable, especially under the illusion of night, but she’s not girlfriend material. When the daylight comes, the magic is over and she needs to run from the party like Cinderella. Except. This is her house. So. Running away is not an option. Still, she knows she can’t stay here in bed with Eva. If she stays here, she won’t be able to pull away and it will only make things hurt more.

She can get up. Offer some breakfast or coffee. Maybe get Eva a taxi home or something. Be nice, but not expect too much. 

She stares at Eva sleeping and something tingles in her belly. What the hell happened to her last night? She has never felt anything like it. Again, her thoughts go to how they kissed and clung to each other, and fuck, it was so hot. So sweet. It felt like Eva saw her for real, and wanted her for real, too. Chris definitely wants Eva again; she can’t deny it. She wishes they could have more than this hookup. 

Eva stirs, and surfaces from sleep, blinking her eyes open. Her beautiful, bright eyes. 

“Mm… morning?” Eva stretches and sits up. God, she looks adorable. “Are you getting up already?” 

“Yeah, uh, I… thought I could make some breakfast.” 

Eva smiles. Now she looks at Chris with this fond amusement in her eyes, like Chris is the adorable one. “Come back here instead,” she murmurs, softly. 

“Um.” Chris doesn’t know how to handle it. Usually, after a hookup, everything is easy. Now… She feels wrung inside out, wanting more than she is allowed to want and she has no idea what to say or do. Eva is certainly dangerous, with her soft eyes and sleepy smile. 

“Come snuggle with me, Chris,” Eva yawns, and rubs her nose. God, so cute. 

Chris tries not to look at her. She wants to drown in Eva’s embrace and stay there. Instead, she mumbles under her breath and stands up from the bed. She doesn’t even know how to crack a joke. Joking is what she _always_ does when she’s nervous, but now she doesn’t even know how to do that. 

“I, uhm, should get up.”

“It’s too early, Chris!” Eva protests, watching as Chris puts on some clothes. “The sun is barely up!” 

“I have… uh… things to do today,” Chris murmurs, still not looking at her. Everything feels off. She doesn’t even feel like herself, at all. Everything hurts, and her limbs are heavy, like they’re filled with lead. “I can get you some breakfast, though. And coffee. If you like, I can find you a taxi.” 

It doesn’t take long for Eva to get Chris’ implication and she flops onto her back with a groan and an eye roll. “Seriously, Chris? That’s how you get rid of me?” she groans and rolls back onto her stomach so she can snuggle into Chris’ pillow. She looks annoyed, but there’s something else hidden in her eyes, too, something Chris can’t quite guess at. “I could use some more sleep before handling this, fuck.”

Chris’ cheeks burn. She knows she’s acting a bit cowardly. Well, a lot. But she’s not used to this, okay? Normally, her feelings aren’t all over the place, making her nervous and weird. Normally, everything is fun and games after a hookup. This is different. It’s weird. 

When she peeks over at Eva, Eva still looks annoyed. She sits up without looking at Chris, and starts searching for her clothes. She doesn’t say or do anything to indicate that she wants to stay, though. “I guess this is it, then,” she huffs.

“You don’t want breakfast?” 

“No, Chris, I don’t want breakfast,” Eva says in a muffled voice, and the rejection stings like knives. A second later, Eva is standing before her, naked and overwhelming, and leaving Chris with the dilemma of not knowing where to look. God, she’s hot, and fierce, and hell, yeah, she looks like a huldra. “Do you think I want to stay for breakfast when you’re kicking me out of bed before the sun rises?” 

“I’m not–” 

“Yes, you are.” Eve moves closer. The heat in her eyes burns. “And you’re missing out on one helluva morning fuck, I’m telling you that.” She simply grabs Chris’ t-shirt and pulls her flush against her. The kiss is immediately burning and desperate, and by the time Eva lets her come up for air, Chris’ head is completely fuzzy and heat rushes through her body.

“Fuck,” Chris mumbles under her breath. She sways and stumbles a little, leaning into Eva, wanting more. 

“Too late for that now.” 

Eva lets her go, turns away to find and yank on her clothes. Then she’s back in Chris’ face again. Her gaze is still intense, although her voice is calmer and more restrained. “I know we didn’t talk things through and that this was just a one-time thing, but… but… there’s no reason to be rude, you know.”

Chris’ eyebrows shoot up. “I just offered you breakfast,” she protests, still feeling awful. Eva must hate her now, and Chris can’t breathe, it aches so bad. Still, she’s confused. She did offer breakfast. She tried to be nice about it. “How is that rude?”

Eva stares at her, and it’s like she deflates. “Yeah. Yeah, I know, sorry.” She rubs her forehead. Then she puts on the rest of her clothes from the floor. “It’s okay, Chris. I guess that’s how it is. We scratched an itch and now we’re done. That’s how you feel, isn’t it? It’s fine. I’m just tired. And I liked you. I’ve never… Oh, fuck it, it doesn’t matter.” 

Chris puts on a big t-shirt and follows Eva as she goes through the hallway in silence. Eva finds her purse and puts on her shoes and coat, without saying much. 

Chris wishes she could do something to make things better. That she could crack a stupid joke and make Eva smile again. Fuck, she wishes she could take it all back. Why did she have to become so weird? She just… she had felt too much, wanted too much and it scared her shitless. And now it’s too late. Eva thinks she’s an asshole. 

This day sucks balls. She knows it’s going to become another ugly-step-sister-ogre day. It won’t even help to dress in bright colours. It’s one of those days when she eats because she’s sad or angry, or because she’s anxious or stressed out. It’s like she’s eating up everything that hurts. But unlike the troll in the fairy tale, she doesn’t burst when she’s full. She puts on more weight. All that pain, all so visible, and at the same time, totally ignored.

If only Eva didn’t hate her. If only she could turn back time and start over. If only.

“I’m sorry…” Chris starts.

“Don’t be,” Eva answers, shaking her head. She looks tired. She blows out some air and gives Chris a half-smile. “I’m sorry I overreacted. We had fun. And... It’s okay. So. Are we good?”

“Sure,” Chris says. She feels awful, and her eyes sting. 

“Good. Because I don’t want things to get awkward.” Eva bites her lip, pausing. “I mean. We do know the same people.”

Right. Fuck. Chris hadn’t thought about that. She feels heat burn in her cheeks. God, this is such a mess. “It’s okay,” she forces out, while her heart beats quickly in her chest. She takes a deep breath. “We can be friends, right?”

Eva finally meets her eyes. “Yeah,” she smiles. “Apart from kicking me out, you’re pretty cool, Chris Berg. I think we can be good friends.” 

Chris follows Eva to the door, and they give each other an awkward hug. “You’re pretty cool, too, Eva.” It sounds hollow. _Pretty cool_ doesn’t quite describe her, not when Eva basically is the best thing that ever has happened to her. Chris breathes in and steals a whiff of Eva before letting her go. 

Eva turns away and Chris can’t help but sneak a glance at Eva when she opens the door and goes outside. She looks small, but she’s probably just tired. “Bye, then.”

“Bye.”

Chris thinks, if Eva turns around and asks to stay, Chris will let her. She knows she will. Even if she risks breaking her heart. However, Eva doesn’t ask: The door closes behind her.

It’s over.

Chris shouldn’t be surprised. She knows she’s not the type to get a happy fairy tale ending. She never has been and she doubts that she ever will. 

She turns away from the door, ignoring the mess in the living room. No happy ending for her. She’ll have fun with random people, sure, but that’s it. _That’s a good thing_ , Chris tells herself. It’s better like this. No strings. No complications. 

As she goes back to bed and buries her face in her pillow, she almost believes it.


	3. One evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris has tried to move on from her one night stand with Eva, but what happens when they meet again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you follow this story - I'm sorry I disappeared, guys. This chapter might be a little all over the place because, well, my mind was a bit all over the place when I edited it. I'm still posting this chapter today, mostly to give myself a kick in the butt. :D I also do it because I've had too much fun with this story to not share it all. :) So. Hope you'll enjoy!
> 
> Huldra: Norwegian beautiful forest spirit, hiding a cows tail. She can be both good and bad, depending on how she’s treated. She’s also called the hidden one.  
> Troll: You probably know. A troll is a Norwegian supernatural creature who is either very big or very small, ugly, and not very nice. Live in the mountains or in the forests. The giant trolls are related to the jötnar from Norse Mythology.  
> The Snow Queen: Fairy tale written by H. C. Andersen (1844). Gerda saves her friend Kay from the evil Snow Queen.  
> The princess no-one could dumbfound: Norwegian folktale. There’s a princess who always manages to get the last word. The king says that if anyone can shut her up, he will get to marry her and win half the kingdom. Ashlad (Askeladden/ Espen Askeladd) is bullied by his older, stronger and hard-working brothers, but he ignores that and uses his impulsivity, observation skills, general weirdness and wit to finally shut up the princess, and he wins her and half the kingdom. I first thought that the Askeladden folktales must basically be some of the first revenge-of-the-nerds-tropes. Except that you can find similar tropes in ancient tales from all over the world.
> 
> ***

Chris can’t believe that Noora has managed to drag her to this thing. It’s not only that they’re having a movie night, but they’re going to discuss the movies from a feminist perspective? And the movie… _Frozen_? Chris has enough of Disney and fairy tales in the kindergarten. She mutters to herself as she tries to search through the fridge for a beer. 

She doesn’t feel too guilty for raiding the fridge of a guy she hardly knows. Even did say they could find something to drink, after all. The whole gang, or most of it, is at Even’s place for the first time – he and his friends from Bakka have become more a part of their gang, lately. Chris studies the shopping list next to the fridge. So, the tall dude still lives with his parents, too. It’s a little comforting, although Even seems to have figured out what to do with his life, lucky guy. 

She sighs happily when she finds a bottle. “I need this to survive,” she mutters. 

“Is there one for me too?” Isak is suddenly there, looking down at her, giving her a wry smile. “I think I need it, too. I don’t get why we’re watching this movie.”

“Me neither?” Chris smiles and hands him a beer. Isak is alright. _Still cute_ , although he’s too tall. And gay, of course. Chris wonders how well Isak knows Eva. Isak hangs with Jonas all the time, so maybe the three of them are besties now?

“A kid’s movie?” Isak huffs. 

Chris just hums in agreement and wonders if it would be rude to ask him about Eva.

“It’s an assignment, Isak.” Noora says, entering the kitchen. She looks amazing and classy and very grown-up. Chris wonders briefly when she’ll start feeling grown-up. 

“Yeah?” Isak sighs. 

“Yeah.” Noora picks up some bowls with snacks from the kitchen table. “Both Even and I need to do this. And we need your input. Now, come on. We’re getting started.”

How Noora and Even have ended up in the same school is still a bit strange to Chris. The two of them seem so different. They both have an interest in media, though, so maybe it wasn’t strange at all. Even is still the same self-acclaimed movie nerd they knew from Nissen, and Noora wants to become a journalist.

Chris and Isak follow her towards the living room. 

“So why are you here if you don’t want to do this?” Chris whispers, nudging Isak. 

Isak shrugs, looking away. “Fuck if I know. Mostly because Jonas said yes.”

However, when they enter the living room, Isak’s eyes go to Even, and oh. _Right._

Eva had said Isak and Even have this thing going on. Chris smiles, watching them both. Even is chatting with Yousef and Mutta from his old gang, and trying to get the technical stuff to work. When Isak comes over, though, Even turns towards him at once and is all smiles and heart eyes while Isak looks back and grins wider than Chris has ever seen before. 

Chris can’t hear what they’re mumbling about, but she is pretty sure Isak doesn’t mind being here, watching this movie, at all. 

“Hey, Noora, do you know where the remote is? We can’t find it,” a warm voice calls. Chris’ heart stops beating when she notices the auburn hair and the white smile. 

And it’s stupid because she should have expected this, fuck. There’s Eva, in a nice red top that makes her look so good. She has her hair in a loose bun and it’s… wow. Chris hadn’t realized how much she has missed seeing Eva since the party, but it hits her hard, almost like something squeezes her insides, making it hard to breathe. 

Chris takes a long swig of her beer, trying to calm down. She knows she should have been prepared. Eva is friends with Isak and Jonas, and she also knows Sana. It’s just that Chris has tried to think as little about Eva as possible this week. Now there’s no chance she can give Eva the impression that she’s super cool after their one-night stand. Because she’s only staring at Eva. 

Eva’s eyes widen when she sees it’s Chris, and both of them stare at each other. 

Noora doesn’t seem to notice. “The remote’s right there! Even has it.” 

“Right.” Eva is still looking at Chris.

“Oh,” Nora smiles. “You guys met at Chris’ birthday party, right?” 

Eva nods, finally smiling. She steps closer. “Hi, Chris.” Her voice is soft, and warmer than Chris remembers. Heat begins to stir in her belly. She still remembers that voice in her ear, moaning her name. 

_Fuck._

She needs to get a grip. And it seems like they aren’t talking about what happened. At all. Should they? Should Chris apologise? She hopes she has more of a poker face than usual, that doesn’t reveal how terrified she is right now.

“Hi,” Chris replies.

Noora smiles then, and leaves them to fix something. Chris doesn't quite hear what she mumbles about. She wonders if Eva still hates her.

Eva looks friendly enough. She takes a deep breath. “So you’re ready to discuss fairy tales and feminism?”

Relief rushes through Chris. No hate, then. She should have known, of course. Eva is too kind to keep grudges.

“Not really,” Chris sighs and tries a half smile. “That’s why I stole this.” She lifts her bottle of beer to show what she means.

Eva smiles. “Clever.” She leans closer, lowering her voice. “I could use some, to be honest. I prefer watching movies without butchering them intellectually.” She bites her lip, smiling, and Chris can’t help thinking about how they kissed that night. She can’t help wanting to do it again.

God, she needs to stop this. Eva doesn’t want that. She seems quite relaxed right now, and she doesn’t even seem the slightest bit annoyed at Chris anymore. Chris needs to relax. They agreed to become friends. Chris can be friendly.

“Even said it was okay to find something to drink,” she explains, whispering. “If you like I can find –”

“Come on, let’s get this thing started,” Noora interrupts from the centre of the room, talking to them all.

Eva just smiles at Chris and shrugs as she finds a place to sit. “I’m fine,” she whispers. 

They all sit down, and Chris ends up next to Eva. Of course. Eva’s thigh burns against hers. _Oh God_ , she’s going to burn up. She’d better try to stay casual. “So, why did you come?” Chris whispers to Eva. “If you didn’t want to?” 

“I owed Sana one,” Eva smiles. “And, well, Sana can be very motivating.”

Chris snorts. “Yeah, she can.”

“What about you?” Eva whispers. 

“I suppose I owed Noora one.”

“Well. She can be motivating, too.” 

They share a smile and Eva’s eyes are warm and – fuck, _fuck_ , this feels like too much, like something is squeezing her heart. Chris shivers, and her cheeks burn. Eva is so beautiful and so sweet and Chris can’t forget how Eva sounded when she came that night. How her skin smelled. Tasted. Chris is basically sweating, thinking about it. And to be honest, it doesn't exactly help that they’re not talking about what happened at all. 

She takes a breath to steady herself, and tries to ignore the warmth of Eva’s thigh pressing against hers. The movie starts, and everyone goes silent, at least for a little while. Except for Even, who seems to whisper about movie references to Isak all the time. And Isak, well, he looks lost to this world, lucky bastard. 

Chris has watched the movie before, but she’s surprised to find that when she’s over the first restless feeling of “gah this is just a kid’s movie” she gets immersed in the story again, and charmed by the characters. 

At the same time, she senses Eva sitting next to her with every cell in her body. She notices every movement, every sigh, at the same time as she follows the story. She wonders how Eva likes the movie. 

When Chris finishes her beer, she sneaks to the kitchen and picks up a new one, as well as one for Eva. Eva smiles gratefully as she hands it to her. Chris can feel the warmth from Eva's thigh, burning against hers. She shifts a little. 

Again, Chris tries to forget about Eva, staring intently on the screen. She must admit to herself that Frozen isn’t too bad. She enjoys the music and the beautiful images, and almost forgets the parts that annoy her a little. But she makes sure to remember them, so she maybe can contribute to the discussion later. Discussions like these aren’t her strongest forte, but she doesn’t want to look like a fool in front of Eva. Well, not in front of anyone. 

The movie ends and Chris admits that the love between Elsa and Anna gives her a lump in her throat. 

“Ah, it’s magic,” Vilde says, with stars in her eyes. 

Chris looks around and sees a mix of feelings on the faces surrounding her. Some look detached, some look amused, and some look enchanted. The most surprising sight is Isak. He looks pale, and teary-eyed. Chris frowns, wondering what that’s about. She knows that Isak has had some family stuff, maybe this movie hits a little too close, one way or another. She only knows she won’t be the one asking him about this. Next to Isak, Even looks like he has enjoyed the movie, but he looks at Isak with concern in his eyes. He puts an arm around Isak. Hm. Maybe the two of them could be a good match, who knows. 

“It’s so beautiful, like a dream,” Vilde continues. 

“Yeah, I really like that, too,” Magnus grins, brushing his hair away from his eyes, looking at her. 

_Subtle_. Chris rolls her eyes. The two of them are sitting closer than they usually do, and it makes Chris wonder if they finally have done something, just like Sana hinted at. 

“I actually love _Frozen_ , too,” Eva says, surprising her. 

“You do?” Chris asks, turning towards her. 

Eva nods, smiling. “Yeah. I remember it was kind of a guilty pleasure when it came out, because we were a little too old. But I loved it. Elsa was this strong, independent woman, a queen of Arendelle and ruled her kingdom on her own. And Anna… I related to her so much. The movie had a lovely message about family, too.” 

Chris loves that she gets to see Eva talking enthusiastically about something like this. “True,” she nods.”I love that the true love thing was about family.” She smiles at Eva, hoping she’s not too obvious with the adoration on her face. She has never been very subtle, no better than Magnus, really.

Eva doesn’t seem to mind that she’s staring. She just smiles back. 

“Yeah,” Vilde agrees. “Elsa is strong, and a good role model. And the story is so beautiful! What’s the point in tearing the movie apart, analyzing it?”

Noora shifts in her seat. “You can look critically at the things you love, you know.”

“So true,” Mahdi chimes in. “Discussing things like that is good. That's how we learn to make things better.”

That earns him an approving eyebrow-lift from Jonas, and it almost looks like he wants to give Mahdi a high-five. Chris feels a chuckle bubble in her chest. Sometimes it’s like they haven’t changed at all since Nissen. 

“But what’s the point?” Isak still looks a little pale. 

Chris can’t believe Isak actually agrees with Vilde. That must be a first - he usually rolls his eyes at most things she says. 

“It’s only a fairy tale,” Isak mutters. “It’s not like it reflects the real world.” 

“That’s the magic of stories,” Even says, looking tentatively at Isak, but it’s obvious that he can’t hold back how much he loves this. Stories. Movies. “They reflect the real world, but they’re _more_. At least when they’re done well. And Frozen is done well.” 

Isak watches him and blinks. “You’re serious.” 

“You bet he’s serious,” Mutta comments. “Even is such a sap.” He laughs as he says it, but he looks at Even with warmth in his eyes. 

“I’m not a sap,” Even protests, although he’s laughing, too. “But yeah, I’m serious. I don’t love everything, but I love that it’s so epic. Elsa is cool, and so very gay. I love that they made the evil snow queen into her. And I like Olaf’s quote, too; _Some people are worth melting for_.” He winks to Isak when he says this.

Isak stares at him, but he doesn’t say anything. There’s a softness in his eyes, though, like he can’t help finding Even sweet. 

“Oh god,” Eva whispers next to her, and the breath against her ear is like a delicious torture. “Isak is so gone for Even. And Even for him. I want popcorn.” 

Chris huffs a laugh. The others seem to see the same. Apart from Vilde and Magnus, who seem engrossed in each other, they’re all staring at Isak and Even. Jonas looks at Isak as if he has grown horns. Mutta grins. Noora gives them both heart eyes. Mahdi is attentive, Yousef looks delighted, and Sana and Jamilla like they know everything that’s going on. And yeah, they all stare. 

It’s quite funny. And still, Chris leans back, thinking. Sure, she likes parts of the movie, too, but there are some things she can’t stop thinking about. Usually, she would have joked it away, but now, the need to say something is like a buzz under her skin. An ache in her throat.

It hits her again, how her friends sometimes appear like these pretty fairy tale princesses, while she mostly feels like a stupid sidekick. A troll, or an ogre. A joker. Vilde is like Cinderella, and Sana is like that badass princess no-one could dumbfound. Noora is red-lipped, pale and gracious like Snow White. Snow White, who basically gets molested while sleeping in a coffin, at least in some versions of the fairy tale. Ew. 

Fairy tales are awful. So why does she care that parts of this movie annoy her, or that her friends remind her of fairy tale princesses? It’s not like she wants to be one? 

It’s just. She _does_ care, and she wants to say something, for once.

Chris still surprises herself when she clears her throat. “I love _Frozen_ , too,” she says, “but some things annoy me about all these Disney fairy tales.” She hesitates, feeling uncertain as she’s about to admit something that feels a little too personal. She’s not the type to share stuff like this, but for some reason, she can’t hold it back. “The princesses are always so pretty and skinny,” she sighs. “Elsa is a tall, thin, large-breasted, white-blonde woman with curled eyelashes and sculpted eyebrows.” She hesitates for a moment, and then she thinks, _fuck it_ , and continues: “When she sings about letting it go she turns into this sex godess. It’s sexist, actually.” 

She notices that they all stare at her. Eva stares, too. Her eyes are wide and impossible to read. She touches Chris’ knee, though, as an encouragement, maybe.

“Chris?” Noora says, with a half-smile, staring. “What happened to you? I’ve never heard you say stuff like this before.”

It’s obviously a joke, but, fuck. It’s not a lie. 

Chris shrugs, blushing a little. Noora’s comment stings a bit, but Chris doesn’t know if it’s because she’s annoyed at herself for not expressing herself more often before, or sad because her friends don’t expect it from her, or worried that she’s being too much again. She probably _is_ too personal right now. Well, _what the hell_. This is actually something she cares about. “Am I wrong?” she asks.

“You have a point,” Mahdi says, looking at her with calm eyes. “This movie is sexist at times, just like a lot of the other Disney movies are. And it’s so white it borders on racist, too.” 

“True,” Jonas murmurs next to him. “I noticed that, but I didn’t think about the body images. Shouldn’t be a surprise, though. It’s Disney.”

“Exactly,” Chris says. “The princesses are made with this formula that makes them impossible to live up to. Like, who the fuck has eyes bigger than their wrists? And they end up pretty boring, too. I’m sick of it. It’s about the whole Disney package, to be honest. I was too old to care about Frozen merch when the movie came out but I recall that my cousin struggled to find Frozen dresses in big enough sizes. She was only ten, but too big.”

“Yeah, that sucks,” Eva says, next to her. Her eyes are still on Chris, and she looks thoughtful. 

Chris can’t help it, she feels hot under that stare. 

“That’s not about the movie, though,” Vilde protests. Magnus doesn’t say anything, but he puts an arm around her.

“Well, the movie is quite sexist, too,” Noora says. “Sure, the girls are more active heroes than in other Disney movies, but Anna still needs to get help from a man. In the original fairy tale, at least, the girl saved the boy.”

” _The Snow Queen_ was a totally different story, and probably problematic in other ways,” Even comments. “But yeah, that’s true.”

Sana huffs. “Most fairy tales and folktales are sexist, or misogynistic.” 

She earns a look from Jamilla, sitting next to her. “Yeah,” she shoots in. “They’re teaching people, and especially young women, their culture’s lessons about relationships, expectations and sacrifices and so on.” 

“Well, yeah,” Chris nods, again surprised that she has more to say about it. “Some pretty outdated lessons. Like, happiness equals getting married. I cringe a lot whenever I read some of the fairy tales to the kids at work.”

Sana seems to have something to say, but then Chris notices Eva’s eyes on her. Eva leans closer. “You work in a kindergarten?”

“Yeah.” Chris holds Eva’s gaze. It strikes her how little they know about each other, at the same time as they have been as close you can get. It’s strange. 

She wants to apologise for what happened but it seems impossible to say anything. Especially here, of course, and now.

Jonas, Mahdi, Sana and Jamilla start a discussion about feminism and relationships through history, while Even, Yousef, Noora and Ingrid start up a discussion around storytelling in movies, and Chris loses some of her interest. She nudges Eva and offers her a sip of her beer. 

“Thanks,” Eva whispers. “Sometimes their discussions go over my head.” She winces. “I didn’t mean… I’m not saying I don’t get it, I’m just not that interested in all of it. Beer is a nice distraction.” 

Chris grins. “Chill. Same here. And some of them love to throw around cool words. They’re mostly as clueless as the rest of us.”

Eva chuckles. “I like that theory, Chris.”

Her eyes are so warm, and so sparkly, and Chris could get lost in them. She takes another sip of beer to distract herself. 

“I must admit I feel extra lost right now,” Eva whispers, “since everybody seems to know what they want in life, while I’m still working in customer service. Like, there’s not exactly a future in that.” 

Chris wonders if answering phones would be better than wiping snot and changing diapers. “Hm, maybe not in the long run.” She pauses. “I’m pretty sure I can handle cranky kids for a longer time than cranky grown-ups. As long as I see the kids for real, listen to them, comfort them and play with them, I can’t go wrong, really. Something tells me customer service can’t be that simple?” 

“I don’t know,” Eva draws out her answer and smiles. “I think listening works with customers, too, though. Some people just need to rant. And throw tantrums. Luckily, I’m pretty good at not shouting back.”

“Yeah, that probably helps,” Chris laughs. Eva is funny. Maybe this can work, maybe they can find a way to stay friendly. 

“Do you like your job, then?” Eva asks.

“I do,” Chris nods. “I guess I could find a future working in a kindergarten, but, of course, I would have to get an education first. And that’s what I can’t decide.” 

“You’re not alone, though. Magnus worked in a kindergarten, too. And Jonas.”

“Sure. _Worked_ , in past tense. Just as Yousef did. But Yousef has started to study to become a teacher, and the others have started to study other things.”

“While you and I are stuck,” Eva smiles, nudging her with her arm. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out, though.” 

Chris likes the sound of Eva saying “we” like that. She likes it far too much, _fuck_.

“It seems like you have thought about this stuff about fairy tales before,” Eva says. “You were passionate about it. If you can find a job that makes you passionate like that, it would be perfect.” 

“I wish I could tell the kids _other_ stories,” Chris says. “Stories with all kinds of heroes and adventures. And yeah, I would appreciate it if the Disney movies evolved a bit, too, I guess.” 

Eva looks at her, and squints a little. “I have the impression that you could be good at making stories.” 

“What?” Chris frowns. “Like write books? Nope. Not a chance. I fought my ass off to get 3 in Norwegian.”

“I’m not saying that you should write,” Eva smiles. “You seem like a storyteller, that’s all. You could start out at the kindergarten. Make some new stories for the kids, with princes and princesses in all sizes and colours who are cool and badass and who save the dragons and kill the kings. Or something. And if you like it, you can probably find a way to use it.”

“Huh.” Chris has to smile, she can’t help it. She already has a couple of ideas jotted down, maybe she can do something with them. “Thanks.” 

“No problem. If you ever get an idea of what I can do, let me know.” 

Chris smiles, not knowing what to say. They both look away. 

The discussion is still going on, and Sana seems to be gathering a lot of points. Yousef seems to have joined the discussion, too, and the banter between him and Sana is utterly charming. Sana rolls her eyes when Jamilla teases her, reminding her about something they apparently used to quarrel about when they were younger. Chris doesn’t quite catch it.

Then, Noora says something about one of the moral messages in _Frozen_ being that you should be careful and not fall too quickly. That they're twisting the insta-love myth. But then, in the end, Anna quickly falls for Kristoffer, anyway. 

Chris starts to listen more closely to what they’re talking about.

“I agree that it’s refreshing how they show ‘love at first sight’ as a myth,” Noora says. “They didn’t stick to their message, though, and it annoys me.”

“But,” Chris says, “it doesn’t have to mean that love won’t ever happen that way. I mean, love _can_ happen quickly, sometimes.”

“Oh yeah?” Noora says, looking at her and raising an eyebrow. “Have you experienced it?”

Chris stares at Noora, refusing to get sidetracked. “My point is that it’s not a bad thing to live a little, once in a while. They’re basically saying that it’s a bad idea to have some fun and… that’s almost like… like slut-shaming.”

It’s maybe a bit far fetched, but Chris doesn’t care. To her, it feels like it is.

Noora stares at her, blinking. “Well. Actually, that's not bad, Chris. I mean, it’s bad but you’re totally right. It’s another way to restrict the female character.”

“Exactly.” Chris leans back, pleased that she got her point across. 

She notices that Eva stares at her again. And _oh_ . Chris suddenly feels too warm. She almost forgot about that. Like she ever could forget the feeling of Eva’s warm body pressing against her. Or how she stirred something deep inside of Chris, making her feel things. _Fuck_. She blushes.

“So, Chris,” Eva says, holding her with her gaze, “you’re saying that falling quickly for someone, and maybe jumping into bed with someone, is okay?” 

Chris is burning up, and she hopes she’s not as red in her face as she feels. “Yeah. Of course.” She pauses, thinking that Eva must know this. After all, they did share that night. “Why?” she asks, smiling a little. “Do I seem like I don’t find it okay?”

“Chris…” Noora sighs, but Chris ignores her.

“No, no.” It’s Eva’s turn to look a little flustered, but her gaze is steady. “Just asking.”

Chris nods. Her heart pounds in her chest. She looks into Eva’s bright eyes and forgets everything about being careful and decent. “I’m saying it’s more than okay. It can be fun, and hot, too.”

Yeah, okay, that doesn’t at all sound like Chris is desperate to jump Eva’s bones. She should be embarrassed, but the beer must protect her. Or maybe it’s the rush of adrenalin.

Eva blinks a couple of times, but she doesn’t comment on it, just nods. She keeps her eyes on Chris, though.

God, Chris feels dizzy, and she’s pretty sure it’s not just the beer.

“I agree, of course,” Noora says, “it’s totally okay. I’m not sure it’s easy to find love like that, though.” 

“It’s not,” Vilde nods.

“Says who?” Chris realises that she has totally lost the plot now, because she can’t shut up. “Apparently, that’s how Norwegians do it, isn’t it?” she asks, grinning. “We hook up, instead of dating. Even the statistics say we do, right, Sana?”

Sana nods, giving one of her crooked smiles, showing she’s rather impressed with Chris right now. “Internet dating is popular, too. But yeah.” 

“Wow. Awkward internet dating and drinking ourselves senseless to hook up... We’re basically a whole nation of shy geeks, aren’t we?” Mahdi grins. “Keeping to ourselves as much as we can.” 

Chris must smile, that sounds so right. “That’s what I’m trying to say! Maybe it’s good we party and shake loose from time to time,” she says, “or we would never manage to couple up.” 

Chuckles spread across the room.

”Fucking around isn’t _always_ healthy though, is it?” Even asks, almost startling Chris as he does so. He looks thoughtful, and almost sad. ”I mean, some do take fucking around a bit far because they’re sick. Or because that’s how they deal with things.”

“Do you mean, like sex addiction?” Vilde asks.

Even shrugs, as if he doesn’t know how to answer that. Noora doesn’t comment on it, but she writes quite a bit in her notebook.

”I guess that’s a point,” Jonas nods. ”Some might deal with things like that. Just like others smoke too much, drink, hurt themselves or whatever.”

_Or eat too much._

Something churns in Chris’ stomach, there’s a burn behind her eyes and it’s suddenly impossible to say a word. _Unhealthy_. She hates that word. 

”That might be true, ” Eva says, sounding almost icy all of a sudden. She shifts closer to Chris, though, and warmth is radiating off her. ”Still, it’s pointless to shame something just because it might be unhealthy for some people.”

Warmth rushes through Chris like a wave. It almost feels like Eva protects her, and damn, that’s a heady feeling.

Even looks at Eva, and blinks. He almost looks relieved. ”That’s a good point,” he croaks. “Shaming and blaming. It’s quite pointless.”

“Also,” Isak says, “it would be pretty pointless to shame the whole Norwegian population - if those statistics Sana is talking about are true.” He looks at Even, and is it only Chris’ imagination, or is there something protective in his voice, too?

“Of course those statistics are true,” Sana comments. 

Jamilla nods, smiling. “Sana knows her numbers. She always does.” 

Sana sends her a half-smile. “And,” she continues, “while we’re talking about typical Norwegian things: You know how women mostly take the initiative here? It’s not a big surprise, but that’s not so common in other countries. The men do it.” 

“That can happen here, too,” Vilde objects.

“Oh yes,” Yousef says, giving Sana a half-smile. ”Like I asked you out.” 

Sana blinks, then smiles softly. “You did.”

“It’s a miracle, really,” Mutta mumbles with a grin. He’s been quiet through the whole discussion, but it seems like he can’t resist the chance to tease his friend. “Yousef has no game.” 

Jamilla laughs. “That’s so true.”

Even barks a startled laugh, too, and nods in agreement. There’s no hint of sadness in his eyes anymore. 

Mutta points a finger at him. “You don’t either, Even.” 

Even pretends to be offended, Isak looks confused, and Chris can’t hold back her laughter; it’s all so true. 

“Anyway,” Sana says, pretending to ignore that Yousef punches Mutta in mock offence while Even holds him. “my point is that it’s more common that the women take the initiative here. In a lot of other countries, the men are supposed to seduce the women.” 

“Oh.” Chris has a realisation. “That must be why that guy on Granca seemed so shocked that I gave him my number last year.” She laughs a little at the memory. “He almost seemed a little disappointed. Well, until I said that I was from Norway. He must have felt like he missed the chase or something stupid like that.”

“Sounds like it,” Sana quirks a smile. 

“Ah, yeah, that explains a lot, actually,” Eva grins. 

“But the fact that we do it like that here, doesn’t mean it’s _easy_ to find love like that,” Noora comments. “Also, we’re far away from _Frozen_ now.”

“Frozen is supposed to be set in Norway,” Isak teases. “I say we’re still on the right subject.” 

“I doubt my teacher will agree,” Noora sighs. 

Even laughs, though, and is all lovely and crinkly eyed, looking at Isak. Isak looks back at him with something similar to startled doe eyes.

Chris blinks, staring at them. Damn, Isak and Even are like this force of nature or something, with this tension sizzling between them. She fights the urge to tell them to do something about it. She doesn’t know if she can take another couple pining for each other for ages like Magnus and Vilde.

“I don’t think the statistics say anything about either of the methods being better than the other, anyway.” Sana says. 

It takes Chris a moment to recall what they were talking about. Right. How easy it is to find love when hooking up. She forces herself not to look at Eva. Would it have been easier if they didn’t hook up that night? 

“If you hook up with some random person, you don’t know what the other wants, though,” Vilde shoots in. 

Chris knows what Vilde will say next, because she’s said it many times since she hooked up with that douche back in first class at Nissen, ended up crushing on him for ages until she realised exactly what a douche he was. 

“You’re more likely to meet others who want to fuck around if you fuck around,” Vilde continues. “I’m with Noora on this. It’s trickier to find something lasting like that.” 

Chris recalls all the tears Vilde cried over that guy all those years ago, and she gets the point. She does. ”That might be,” she says. “But there are actually some good things with our hook up culture, too,” she points out, unable to let it go. “We don’t build up too big expectations to the sex. We can figure out if there’s something physical to build on.”

Vilde huffs, but she doesn’t look surprised. Maybe Chris has said something similar before, too. They do know each other well, after all. 

“We get the tension out of the air, basically,” Chris continues, realising what she says as she says it. Well. Now she really can’t look at Eva, because, hell, then she might do something wild, like laugh hysterically. Get the tension out, hah.

“We don’t have to figure out how to flirt,” Magnus adds. He smiles at Vilde, winking. “Or be terrified about asking someone out.”

Vilde smiles then, giving him a look so cute it’s sickening. 

Chris looks away and discovers that Eva looks at her again. Oh shit, there’s definitely Huldra fire in her eyes again. “But what if you don’t know what the other one wants?” Eva asks, sticking her chin out. “Just like Vilde said? What then?” 

Chris opens her mouth to answer but can’t form a word. She shivers.

“I’ve got a suggestion,” Sana quips. “Communication. You can just ask.” 

For some reason, that makes Jamilla laugh. And, well, yes, Chris realises that Sana must have learned that lesson herself at some point. It took her quite a while to share personal stuff with the others. 

Eva turns to Sana then, and smiles. “I’ve heard that’s supposed to be a good thing, yeah. At least if you’re not terrified to ask, as Magnus said.”

Laughs and huffs fill the room. 

Chris clears her throat. It’s like Eva is trying to tell her something but she feels like she barely manages to hang on to the conversation. “I don’t… I just wanted to say that one-night stands don’t have to be bad, that’s all.”

“It’s definitely easier than asking someone out,” Eva murmurs, looking at nobody special. She still has that fire in her eyes, and her voice is rough. 

Chris has a sudden realisation that Eva has been with two people in this room, and is she thinking about one of them right now? Chris looks quickly at Jonas, but it doesn’t seem like Jonas is affected by the things Eva says, at all. 

“Another good thing with the hookup culture: We avoid awkward dates, too,” Isak says. “Better to end up in bed together and then do things you both like to do.” It’s obvious that he tries not to look at Even. 

Even looks at him, though, _damn_. What a look in those blue eyes. And when Isak finally lifts his head again he looks like he can’t tear his eyes away. He probably can’t. Then Even smiles and nudges Isak with his elbow. “But where’s the epic romance in a quick fuck like that?” he asks, obviously faking being offended. 

Isak elbows him back, smiling and mumbling something inaudible. 

Chris swallows. Epic romance. She has always told herself she only wanted to have fun with no strings. She does want more, though, deep down. She knows that now. “The romance can build afterwards,” she says. The words feel foreign in her mouth. 

“Can it, now?” Eva comments, staring at her, and her expression is impossible to read, even if there’s a fire in her eyes. She leans closer and she lowers her voice. “Do you really believe that?”

Chris shuts her mouth, suddenly feeling burning hot. It feels like Eva sees right through her, that she knows exactly how much Chris wishes for something to build between them, even if there’s no chance. 

“Well it’s not like you’re searching for love, Chris, right?” Vilde asks, leaning her head on Magnus’ shoulder. “You always talk about having fun, and nothing more.”

Chris blushes now, there’s no doubt about it, and she stutters, trying to find the right words. “I wouldn’t mind finding love,” she says, crossing her arms. “I would love getting a happy ending with, you know, a whole kingdom and kisses in the sunset. Love and ‘happily ever after’ and all that.”

“Oh,” Vilde says.

Chris can feel Eva’s eyes on her, and they make her skin heat up. “I am capable of taking things seriously, you know. Even if I like to have fun sometimes.” The room is suddenly quiet, and she’s burning up. She shrugs, trying to take away some of the rawness of her words. “I just don’t want to be judged for having some fun only because I have two x chromosomes or whatever. That’s all.”

There’s still a hesitant pause. Then: 

“Good point, I like that, Chris,” Noora comments, writing in her notebook. “Thanks.” 

Chris’ heart beats loudly in her chest, and she doesn’t know what more to say. 

Eva is silent next to her, and Chris can feel her gaze on her. “Well, here’s to finding love,” Eva says, lifting her beer and taking a sip. ”However we want to find it.” Her voice is low and warm. 

Chris barely dares to look at her, but she tries a small smile. Eva smiles back.

The discussion sort of crumbles after that, and they find more beers and some snacks and after a little while, there’s this low key party going on. 

Chris wonders for a moment if this is how grown up parties are: Social gatherings where alcohol is served and not brought by the guests in plastic bags? Where people have grown up discussions instead of drinking games and dancing? Is there a magical turning point in life where you just suddenly stop feeling like a clueless kid? Somehow she doubts it. She knows very well that people in all kinds of ages have parties where you bring your drinks and dance on the tables. Well, at least in Norway. And her mum once told her she still felt clueless. “Some people probably have this natural sense of knowing, and of responsibility, and wisdom,” she had said once. “I sure don’t.”

Chris had felt some comfort in that, as she does now, as well. Maybe she’s not alone, feeling like this. 

“I love beer,” Isak exclaims, raising a bottle, “the social lubricant we need, folks.” He doesn’t look pale at all, anymore. 

Jonas calls him an idiot, but then he tells Even that he should show Isak that snapback collection he had told Jonas about earlier. And well, Chris can recognise a matchmaker when she sees one. As Isak and Even head towards Even’s room, she meets Jonas’ eyes and gives him a grin and a wink. Jonas grins back.

Everybody chats, having a good time. It’s nice. The tension between Eva and Chris has eased down a bit, too, and Chris manages to just enjoy spending time with all the others. She notices that Eva seems to fit in perfectly with the whole gang. She already knows the boys well, and the girls love her, too. She especially hits it off with Noora, talking about music and movies. They both look very pretty together, and Noora is single, and Chris pushes away that thought as quickly as it pops up. The queasy feeling stays, though. She’s not nice at all, really, because even if she has no right, and even if she wants Eva to be happy, she still doesn’t want to let her go. Not yet. 

Chris tells herself to behave and talks a bit with Sana instead. The two of them end up standing not so far from the doorway, and Chris leans to the wall and allows the sounds from the party to become just background noise while they chat away. As always, talking to Sana feels like coming home, and they’re joking and sharing stories about old times. The familiar pleasure of their talk makes Chris regret that she hasn’t found time to meet up with Sana more often lately. Or meet up with the whole gang more often, to be honest. She grabs on to the here and now, though, as Sana shares a little about her studies and juggling everything with studies, her family and Yousef. 

“You two seem to be doing good,” Chris says, winking. She takes a sip of her beer. It’s getting a bit stale because she’s more focused on talking and drinking. Probably a good sign.

“Yeah, we are,” Sana shines like a sun. “I think that... Yousef is my guy.”

“Oh, hell, you’ve known that for a while now,” Chris huffs. 

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. You knew it, even back when you saw that Yousef didn’t fit the image of what you wanted.” 

Sana’s smile fades and she gives Chris a warning look. “It wasn’t that simple.”

Chris sighs, feeling a twinge of shame. Sometimes her problem isn’t other people telling her that she is too much. Sometimes she really _is_ too much, saying things without thinking. She knows Sana’s dilemma was anything but simple back when she got to know Yousef. Chris doesn’t know much about faith and doubts, but she knows that it must have felt quite impossible to find a life with Yousef for a while. “I know,” she says. “I’m sorry. I’m just glad you two are figuring things out.” 

Sana nods. Then her lips quirk up and her eyes twinkle. “You’re right, though,” she admits. “I did know.” 

Chris laughs, relieved. She realises that Sana is sort of letting her off the hook and a part of her wants to acknowledge that. She just doesn’t know how to do it. “Well, Yousef is a nice guy. Just right for you.” 

“Yes, he is,” Sana smiles, looking unusually bashful. 

“So, no regrets about the year in Aspen, then? Or the distance?”

Sana shakes her head, still smiling. “So worth it.” 

“I bet!” 

There’s still a silent tension in the air, and Chris can’t ignore it. She bites her lip. “I owe you one, for, you know, being flippant. I’ll give you one fuckup with me for free. No hassle.”

It’s a stupid thing to suggest, and probably a result of all their talk about old times. But it’s all she can think of. 

Sana takes in her suggestion, and ends up looking both baffled and amused. “That’s… wow, Chris. I’m pretty sure that’s not how apologies work. Also, it wasn’t a big thing.”

Chris keeps utterly still. “Many a little makes a mickle.” That’s a thing she knows far too well. She pauses. “You know I’m not good with words. Also, this is a good deal, and you know it.”

Sana squints at her, but then her lips curve up. “Fine,” she finally says. “Okay.”

“Okay.” 

They hug it out then, and laugh a little. 

Chris steps back and allows herself to let her eyes dart across the room. She can’t help it, her eyes are drawn to Eva, but she makes sure to look away quickly. She’s talking to Sana now, damnit. “So, apart from that?” she asks. “Anything new?”

Sana gets a strange look on her face, like she’s about to say something, but then she just shrugs and smiles one of her shiny smiles. “Nothing I want to talk about right now,” she says. 

“Mm. Fair enough.” 

Sana looks closer at Chris. “I almost forgot. You. I saw you finally got to talk to Eva,” she says, looking pleased. "I knew you two would hit it off.”

Something flutters inside of Chris and she feels too warm. She glances over at Eva. She’s chatting with Isak and Jonas at the moment, and she’s looking very relaxed and in a good mood. “We were mostly arguing, though,” Chris mutters. 

Sana raises an eyebrow. “Sure. If that’s what you like to call it.” 

Chris startles. What does that mean? She stares at Sana, but her expression is suddenly innocent in a way she rarely looks. She smiles. “Eva is cool, though. It’s like she fits in with us all. I was pretty sure you’d like her.”

That’s true. Chris takes a deep sip of her beer and manages to not seem too flustered, or say anything stupid. “Yeah, she’s… Have you known her for long?” she asks, working hard to keep her voice flat and calm.

“Yeah, it’s been a while now. I met her at Isak’s place a couple of times when I came back to Oslo, and we met up to chat, especially after she and Jonas broke up. She hung with Jamilla and me a couple of times, too.” 

“That’s nice. She seems… nice.”

Sana looks at her, frowning. Chris knows she’s acting weird, and nothing like the way she usually bubbles over when she meets new people. Still, she fears that her feelings will shine through if she talks more about Eva. She tries to guide their talk back to everyday stuff, babbling about her job. She almost tells Sana about her new idea to make stories for the kids, but then she will have to tell Sana how Eva inspired her, and Chris will blush and stutter, and Sana will sense what’s up. 

Sana seems to sense something anyway. “What’s with you today?” she asks. “You seem excited. Almost a little tense. And all this talk about love? Have you fallen for someone?” 

Chris shrugs. “It’s nothing special.” She hates to lie and she regrets it at once. “Well, nothing I want to talk about now, I suppose.” She winces.

“Fair enough,” Sana says, and leaves it. “Tell me when you want to.”

Chris goes to find more to drink, and moves around for a while, chatting to different people. The vibe is good, and she tries to focus on that, and not at the fact that Eva seems like this shining lighthouse that Chris is navigating around all evening, wondering if she should go over and talk to her, or not. 

At one point in the evening, Chris bumps into Vilde in the kitchen. Vilde is herself, talking about some gathering she’s planning, until she gets a guilty look on her face and lowers her voice. “I’m sorry I said that stuff about love earlier, Chris.”

“It’s okay,” Chris smiles. She knows that Vilde didn’t mean anything bad about it. “You had a point, I haven’t talked about wanting to find anyone.” 

“True, but I know you better than throwing out things like that.” They lock eyes and smile. Yeah. Vilde knows her well, that’s true. Chris almost feels guilty for not telling her about Eva. She will, though. She just needs some time to get things into perspective, and distance herself from all the weird feelings.

She tries to change the subject. “What about you? Am I hallucinating or is something finally happening with you and Magnus?”

“Yeah,” Vilde laughs, looking very pleased with herself. “It’s awesome, it happened at your party, actually. Magnus had a chat with the boys, and Even was there. Even told him to be himself - just more. Or something like that. So, when Magnus found me in the bathroom he dragged me along and told me he wanted me. If I wanted him.”

 _Oh damn_. 

“And it worked?” Chris asks, baffled.

Vilde grins. “Oh yes. He was so cute and lost. And you know I’ve been weak for him. Sometimes it’s that simple. You should note it down, if you’re serious about wanting love. Or you could talk to Even, maybe.” She winks.

Chris huffs a laugh and jokes it away, but the whole talk makes her think. If Magnus managed to charm Vilde like that, there should be hope for anyone. Maybe even her? The tiny flicker of hope is enough to make her feel something twinge inside. 

They go back into the living room and end up next to Eva again. Eva’s smile shines so much it takes Chris’ breath away. 

“We were just talking more about finding love,” Vilde says to Eva. “What about you, Eva? Are you looking for someone? Or maybe you found someone already?”

“I –” 

Eva doesn’t get to finish before Isak interrupts, as he’s passing them, probably on his way to find more beer. “Oh, she found someone already, alright.” He looks at Eva and winks. “She’s so infatuated.”

“Isak!” Eva stares at him with murder in her eyes. “It’s not. It’s only a crush. What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Getting beers. And tormenting you.”

Chris should probably find it amusing that he looks unusually cheerful, most likely because of spending time with Even. However, Chris can only focus on one thing. Eva has a crush. _Fuck_. She has already met someone else? 

“Well, it’s nothing,” Eva says.

Isak stops, meeting her stare. “Bullshit. You can’t stop talking about her. It’s sickening, actually.” 

“Oh yeah? What about you and Even?”

“Shut up. He’s just showing me around.” Isak pauses, looking almost baffled. “And he’s just… nice. We talked about family issues and life. I actually think I managed to keep my foot out of my mouth. You know.” 

Sana looks like she indeed knows. “That’s great,” she says, smiling. 

And it is great. But even if Chris is thrilled for Isak and Even apparently having a real talk or whatever, she can’t stop thinking about Eva’s new crush. 

So, now she knows for real, then. Eva really doesn’t want her. 

Chris knows she doesn’t do subtle, but she tries as hard as she can to look like she doesn’t care. It’s next to impossible. There’s a churning, empty feeling in her stomach and she doesn’t know where to look or what to say. 

Eva is crushing on _someone_ , but it’s someone else.

Of course. Chris shouldn’t be surprised. 

“That is great,” Eva says to Isak. “So, have you kissed yet?”

If her comment is an attempt to keep the focus off herself and her crush, she fails utterly. 

Isak raises an eyebrow. “Have _you_?”

Eva only stares at him.

Chris swallows dryly, looking at her feet. She doesn’t know if she wants to know the answer or not. She tries not to think about Eva kissing someone else. It’s pointless to be jealous, she tells herself. Jealousy is just about insecurity, anyway. She will handle whatever Eva will say.

Eva doesn’t say anything, though.

“You should ask Even for advice, Eva!” Vilde suggests, seemingly blind to the tension. She basically has stars in her eyes. “He gave Magnus and me the _best_ advice.”

“Oh, yes, that sounds like a great idea,” Sana says, smiling. 

“It’s not – “ Eva doesn’t finish what it’s not. She takes a deep swig of beer instead. 

Chris’ bottle is empty. God, her throat is dry. She can’t stop thinking, _no happy fairy tale ending for me_ , _no happy fairy tale ending for me_ , like a depressing mantra. 

Oh, fucking hell. 

Eva is right here, but not for her. Chris doesn’t know where to look or what to say. This whole gathering thing feels suffocating. She doesn’t know if she’ll manage to keep looking like her happy self all night. 

She looks at her phone, and fakes suddenly remembering something. “Oh, shit, I forgot, I have something I need to do.”

Vilde stares at her, frowning. “You do? At this time?”

“Yeah, I do. Sorry, guys.” 

“Okay?” Vilde says.

Isak looks at her with narrow eyes and he doesn’t seem convinced at all. 

Sana’s eyes feel like they can see right through her. 

Eva mostly looks confused, though. “That’s, uhm, a pity,” she says.

Chris feels like a coward and an idiot, but fuck, she can’t stand the thought of pining for Eva all evening while Eva thinks about someone else. A new fucking crush. _No thank you_.

“Uhm, yeah. This was fun, though. Who thought ripping Disney movies apart could be so much fun, huh?” She tries one of her best winks. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Yeah.” Eva’s eyes are so big, fuck.

Chris says her goodbyes to the whole gang, sharing hugs and high fives. She makes sure not to cling too long to Eva, even if she wants to hold on and never let go. _Friendly_ , she tells herself. _I can do friendly_. She shares her hugs equally, friendly. 

When she tells Even goodbye, Vilde’s suggestion to ask him for love advice, flutters through her head. 

Well, that’s no use to her now, anyway. It’s too late.

She leaves, telling herself she can forget about Eva. She needs a little distance, that’s all. A little time. _Yeah right_. Something tells her it might not be as easy as it sounds. 

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think so far? This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. 
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